Disgraced, Part One
by Muggle Jane
Summary: Hermione makes a rather questionable decision and has to deal with the fallout. Follows along after 'Seduced.' Rated M for language.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Disclaimer of disclaiming, I don't own any of the characters and have no intent to make any money from this. This follows along after ****_Seduced_**** and will be entirely from Hermione's POV.**

I looked morosely into my glass. I kept running through the things my boyfriend had said to me. Sorry, ex-boyfriend. _You work too much_. _You never have time for me._ _Why can't you be more interested in the things I like_?

I took a deep drink and stared some more. "Why couldn't you be more interested in the things that are important to me?" I asked my glass, glaring at it as though it was the freckled face of my redheaded ex-boyfriend.

I suddenly became aware of a tall wizard walking over to me and helping himself to the chair opposite me. "Talking to yourself?" he taunted me.

I looked up and narrowed my eyes in a glare when I saw exactly who it was suddenly sitting across from me. "What do you want, Malfoy?" I snapped.

He ignored my hostility and smirked at me. "I don't know if you've noticed it yet, but we're actually in a _pub_. And you're supposed to be the smart one. I'm here for a drink, same as you." He had a glass with an amber liquid in it, a lot like mine.

"Why are you _here_, then?" The Hog's Head Inn didn't really seem like the type of place for someone like him.

His expression grew a little pained. "Girlfriend broke up with me and I needed to get out. The house is a lot emptier when there's suddenly one less person in it. This seemed like somewhere I wouldn't run into anyone."

"Except me," I retorted. But then I sighed and relaxed, just a little. He was in the same boat I was, I could definitely sympathize with that. "There's a lot of that going around," I muttered and took another drink. "At least you're still not living in the same house." I'd moved my things to Percy's old room before heading out for the night. Molly had long since given up on us sleeping in separate rooms, and she'd made a very disapproving clatter in the kitchen while I'd done it. I'd managed to duck out for the evening before she'd sat us both down and had a chat about how sometimes it took _effort_ to make a relationship work. Ours had been falling apart for the last little while. "So why did she chuck such a _prize_?"

He ignored the sarcasm. "You know my father moved his girlfriend in, right?"

I had known that. "I did, actually." I'd helped her move in the previous weekend. "I'm jealous that you had that entire library at your disposal when you were growing up." She'd shown me the library in a bid of, 'Isn't it fantastic that I'm living here, now?'

"Well," he started, his eyebrows raising and lowering expressively. "Pansy said I was 'too involved.'"

"You don't approve?" I figured I probably already knew the answer, especially considering the looks he'd been giving them on New Year's. That had been months ago but apparently he hadn't changed his mind about them.

His gray eyes were filled with alarm. "Of course I don't approve! She's younger than I am!" He took a drink and shook his head. "She's probably just after his money."

I lifted an eyebrow at him. "Right. You know that H-"

"Has a vault full of galleons. Yes. I'm aware," he said tersely.

"If she just wanted the gold, why would she have... left him for someone else? Especially your father."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He was getting offended on his father's behalf and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"And your father's biggest nemesis is..." I trailed off, gesturing with my drink. He gave me a begrudging nod. "Besides, have you seen them together? Have you seen the way they look at each other?" I shook my head. "It's almost disgusting, like they can't wait to get home and-"

"Granger!" he practically shouted. "That's my father you're talking about!"

"Hitting a little too close to the mark?" I asked innocently.

He shuddered. "Let's just say I've seen more of both of them than I ever wanted to. I went to visit on Wednesday to be polite..." He shook his head and took another long drink. "_Never_ floo over there without calling first to make sure they're both dressed." His eyes narrowed as he looked at me. "I should have known you'd be on her side."

I shook my head again. "I'm on the side of, 'it's none of my damn business.' It's not my thing- how old is he, anyway?"

"46." He paused, narrowing his eyes in thought. "No, 47."

I shook my head. "That's definitely too much for me, but they're happy with each other, so who am I to say anything? I can't even find happiness with someone my age." I took another drink. "And didn't you just say that it's lonely to live by yourself? Maybe he got tired of being lonely."

He shuddered. "It's just... wrong."

"So, what, you were whinging too much and Pansy told you to mind your own business and you just kept on about it?"

"Something like that." He sounded just a bit sulky.

"Well, I happen to think that chucking you was probably the smartest thing she's ever done. But if you'd just stop whinging, apologize, and tell her she was right, I'm sure she'd take you back. Women love to hear that they were right."

He smirked at my words, and then his face fell again. "I don't know about all of that."

I leaned forward over the table. "I don't know if you've heard, but I've been called 'the brightest witch of my age.' I'm usually right, but I never get tired of hearing it. Trust me."

He smirked again and took a long drink. "So why are you sitting here all alone when you've got a redheaded boyfriend who thinks the sun shines out of your arse?"

I sat back in my chair and let out my breath slowly. "No redheaded boyfriend anymore, and he certainly doesn't think the sun shines out of my arse." I gave my glass a sour look.

"Why?" He was genuinely surprised. Then again, I had been too.

"I work too much, don't spend enough time fawning all over him." He hadn't said that last part, but I was a little bitter.

"Are you serious?" At my nod, he shook his head. "It's not like you've changed much since we were in school. Well, you look better." His eyes moved over me appreciatively and I choked on my drink. That was about the last thing I expected from him. He laughed at my reaction.

"Look better?" I echoed when I could speak again.

"You grew into those legs and your hair definitely looks better." I just about fell out of my chair. I was not used to compliments from him. "But I could have told him you'd be very involved in your work. And I'm sure you're just as involved with it as you were when you finished school- what, two years ago?"

"You know, that's exactly what I said." He raised his glass to me and I knocked mine gently against it. "Truth is, I got a promotion at work and I've been a little more involved with it than I used to be. It's important work, though. We're looking at a lot of the discriminatory laws- Muggle-borns, werewolves..."

"That sounds like something you would think was very important. Merlin, I understand that- why can't he?" I looked sharply into his face to see if he was mocking me, but he seemed surprisingly sincere.

I sighed. "I think he's just upset that I don't want to settle down and have kids for a while yet. Bill and Fleur are working on their second, Luna's due any day now and Ginny-"

"Tell me she's not pregnant." There was a panicked look on his face.

I laughed. "No! At least, not as far as I know. But she's, well, you know. Settled in, far away from Molly. So Ron's bearing the brunt of Molly's urge to see her house entirely filled with grandchildren and I'm a little indisposed right now."

"I get the same thing from my father, you know. 'When are you going to continue the family line?'" The imitation was uncanny, but then he did resemble his father quite strongly. He was a little leaner, maybe a hair taller, and his voice was just a little lighter. "So instead of telling her to let you two get there when you're ready, he's chucking you to start over?" He shook his head. "He's not that bright, is he? You're probably the best thing that's happened to him."

I raised an eyebrow. "High praise coming from you." I really couldn't believe he'd just said that.

He smirked again. "I would be willing to bet any amount of galleons that he'll realize that he's being incredibly stupid and come crawling back."

I wasn't convinced. "We'll see."

"In the meantime, why don't we sit and commiserate and get too drunk to Apparate." When I raised my eyebrow again, he smirked at me. "I'm not all that bad, you know. Besides, we're practically family now."

That was certainly true. I raised my glass to him and he clinked his against it, and we both had a drink.

The more we drank, the better he looked, and the easier it was to forget everything that had happened before that night. He got up to use the loo and when he came back, he changed seats so that he was sitting beside me instead of across from me. At some point, his arm came around my shoulders, his fingertips making slow circles on my arm, under the sleeve of my t-shirt.

I raised my eyebrow at him. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'd have thought that was fairly obvious to the brightest witch of your age." He was mocking me, just a little. "Tell me you've never even considered this."

"This?"

"Me. Us." His confidence was extremely enticing.

I gave him a look and then I stood up and made my own unsteady trip to the loo. I used the toilet and washed my hands and then looked at myself critically in the mirror. I was flushed, both from the alcohol and the heat of the summer night. My hair had started out the night in a knot at the back of my head and was stubbornly escaping as the night wore on. The truth was, I had considered it in school. Most of the girls had, at least once or twice. And breaking up with Ron had left me feeling incredibly undesirable.

But there was an incredibly attractive wizard sitting in the bar waiting for me. He wanted me. He didn't care that I worked a lot or didn't drop everything to talk about Quidditch. For the life of me, I couldn't recall a single reason that would make it a bad idea.


	2. Chapter 2

I flushed the toilet and wiped my mouth, then rubbed my other hand across my forehead. No fever. There never was a fever, but I'd been getting sick on and off for the past couple of weeks. I probably needed to see a Healer; I was just so busy with work, I didn't want to take the time off. Kingsley was relying on me.

I washed my hands and left the room and went back out to where where my friend was waiting in the sitting room with her baby. Remus Regulus was about six weeks old and already infinitely curious, just like his mother. He watched me with large blue eyes as I went and sat down again next to his mother.

"How long have you been pregnant?" Luna asked pleasantly as I settled down on the soft cushion just beside her. We were in the rooms she shared with Sirius at Hogwarts. School had started for the year just a couple of weeks ago and Sirius had somehow managed to talk the headmistress into allowing the baby at the castle. Luna had pulled Sirius out of the portal in the Ministry a little over a year ago and they'd married not long after that. Now he was teaching Transfiguration and she was taking the first year Charms classes.

"I'm not pregnant," I told her quickly.

"Of course you are," she replied with a warm smile, as though it was the most obvious thing on the planet.

"Ron and I broke up about a month and a half ago and we hadn't-" I stopped. Ron and I hadn't had sex for over a month before we actually broke up, but... That night. Had I cast the charm? I wracked my brain, trying to remember. I hadn't. I hadn't cast the contraceptive charm- had he? I could feel all of the blood leave my face. "Merlin, no," I breathed.

"It's not Ronald's, is it?" she questioned gently, sympathy in her big gray eyes.

I shook my head dumbly, tears forming in my eyes. This couldn't be happening. This was just about the worst thing that could possibly happen. "I need..."

"You need a cup of tea. Kreacher?" she called softly, and the wizened old house-elf appeared.

"Yes, Mistress Luna?" he croaked as pleasantly as I'd ever heard him.

I couldn't help but smile at him fondly, even with everything that was racing through my brain. He was good to me when I'd gone back to Hogwarts to finish my final year, and he'd taught me a lot about house-elves. Luna had told me that Sirius and he had found some sort of common ground and reconciled, just as Harry and Kreacher had. And he probably quite liked that their son was named after his favorite Black, Sirius' younger brother.

"Will you bring some chamomile and mint tea for Hermione?"

"Yes, Mistress Luna." He vanished and reappeared in only a moment with a steaming cup of tea. He handed it to me with a small bow and then left again before I could thank him.

"Thank you," I told Luna instead.

"Would you like me to cast the charm to find out for certain?" she asked curiously, her head tilted to the side as she watched me. "I'm no Healer, of course, but I learned rather a lot of new charms from Filius' wonderful books last year."

I closed my eyes for a long moment, bracing myself, and then nodded. I heard her shift to pull out her wand, and then after a moment, she spoke. "It's a derivative of _Hominum Revelio_, you see."

That made sense. I waited. Eventually, I opened my eyes and looked at her; she was holding her son up in front of her face and nuzzling his round little tummy. "Well?"

"Oh!" She started and looked at me as though just noticing me for the first time. "You're pregnant, of course."

My vision swam with fresh tears and I took a large swallow of my tea. This couldn't be happening. This was definitely the worst thing that could possibly happen right at that moment. I didn't even know how to react, I just sat there, clutching the tea cup in both hands and staring at the brightly patterned rug covering the stone floor.

"Are you going to ask Molly to help you deliver the baby?" she asked, breaking through the fog that seemed to have enveloped my mind.

"Molly?" I echoed with a frown.

"She helped with Remus, of course, and Victoire." She paused, settling Remus in her arms again. "And me and Cedric Diggory, too. Andromeda helped with Teddy, of course." She blinked owlishly at me. "I could do it, I'm sure, but she's had rather a lot more practice with it."

"So you... Don't see a Healer?" Of all of the things about living in wizarding society I'd looked into and researched, pregnancy was not among them. It was going to be, when I was ready to settle down and start a family. That time hadn't happened yet, but apparently things weren't exactly going according to plan anymore. At all.

"Not usually." She was very sympathetic. "I did because I was here, and some witches do if pregnancy is very dangerous or complicated for them. Narcissa did with Draco, she told me, but she had good reason to."

I nodded. The tears had stopped. I was mostly numb now, which seemed better than drowning in anguish. "I should go, let you rest." I stood up, then leaned over to kiss the back of Remus' head. "I'll talk to you later. Thank you for the tea."

"Of course, Hermione." She looked very concerned.

I left the tea on the table and went over to the fireplace at the side of the room. I stopped by it, hesitating. I was still living at The Burrow, in Percy's old room, but I was going to need to find somewhere else to live. There was no way I was going to be able to live at The Burrow while I was pregnant with someone else's baby. Ron tended to get a little nasty when his ego was bruised, and this was definitely going to leave a mark.

And I had to figure out when I was due, and I had to tell Kingsley, and... I had to tell the father. _That_ was a conversation I was definitely not looking forward to.

I took a handful of the floor powder and tossed it into the fire. "The Burrow." I flooed home.

Molly was out, probably on her shopping, and the house was pleasantly quiet and empty. I opened the back door and went out to Arthur's garage, and knocked quietly on the door.

After just a moment, he opened it, glasses slightly askew. "Hermione! Come in, come in." He stood out of the way and ushered me inside. It was warm in there, of course, warmer than it was outside. "I thought you were going to visit with Luna at Hogwarts," he said, pushing the door closed.

"I did," I replied dismally, taking a seat on the high stool that stood by the door.

"Are you all right?" he asked, bringing a hard wooden chair over and sitting down facing me.

"I'm not." I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. "Arthur, I'm pregnant."

"Are you?" He sounded absolutely delighted. He loved his grandchildren, the fact that two of them were more distant cousins than actual grandchildren made no difference to him. Or Molly, for that matter.

"It's not Ron's." I opened my eyes to take in his reaction.

A frown furrowed his brow. "Oh dear. That does complicate things, doesn't it?" he observed gently. This was why I went to him instead of waiting for Molly to get home. Molly would have started crying and possibly scolded me. Probably scolded me.

I took a deep, shaky breath. "I'm going to have to move out."

"Nonsense, Hermione," he told me firmly. "You're a part of this family, whether or not you and Ron patch things up."

"I think that ship has sailed, Arthur. He's not... He's not going to be ok with this. One of us is going to have to move it, and I'm not the one blood-related."

He nodded slowly, folding his arms across his chest. "I'm assuming that you're not... In a relationship with the father, just from the way you're talking."

"I'm not. Not at all. And I don't want to be, ever." I shook my head vehemently. I'd woken up the morning after and, after a very awkward cup of tea in his kitchen, I'd flooed home as fast as I could, hoping that it would be a _very_ long time until I saw him again. It had been about two months- not nearly long enough.

"Now," he started gently, "I don't know how it is in the Muggle world, but when one of us gets a witch... in the family way, there's an expectation that they'll get married."

"No," I said flatly. "I am _not_ marrying him."

"That's your decision, of course, and you know we'll love and support you, no matter what you do. I just want to make sure you're aware that there's going to be a lot of talk." His blue eyes behind his glasses were kind, concerned.

I shrugged and gave him a rueful smile. "There's been talk about me since fourth year when I was apparently stringing along all of the contestants in the Tri-Wizard Tournament." It hadn't really stopped since then. It picked up even more after the war was over, and had intensified when Ron had broken up with me.

"That's true." He sighed. "You know we're here for whatever you need. Molly's probably not going to be happy at first, but you know she loves you."

I nodded, and I could feel the tears gathering again. He stood up and came and hugged me, stroking my hair. "Molly was always very weepy, too. It'll be alright, Hermione." He produced a handkerchief and handed it to me. "There, there."

"Are you disappointed in me?" I sobbed. Molly and Arthur Weasley had become like surrogate parents to me. My own parents were in Australia, happily living their lives as other people. I'd tried to restore their proper memories and I couldn't. Further efforts might have made them insane, and I couldn't risk that.

"No. I'm worried for you, but I'm not disappointed. Dry your eyes," he instructed gently. "We'll make a plan."

I wiped my eyes and I had to smile. He knew that planning would make me feel better. "Thank you," I told him. I dabbed at my eyes again and handed the handkerchief back.

He took it and sat back down in the chair. "Right. If you feel like you need to move out immediately, and I could certainly understand the feeling, you know you have people you could stay with. Bill and Fleur, George has that spare room in his flat. Ginny," his mouth tightened a little, "is living in that enormous house, I'm sure they could find space for you there."

"And a Quidditch team," I answered with a shaky smile.

He smiled at that as well. "And a Quidditch team. Have you told the father?"

I shook my head, exhaling slowly. "You and Luna are the only people who know."

"Luna! They've got that empty cottage out by Bill and the house in London, if you don't mind living with Narcissa." He reached out a hand and placed it on my shoulder. "Take some time, Hermione. Figure out where you're going to go. I'll tell Molly, we'll keep it quiet until Ron's hurt pride won't hurt you." Some surprise must have shown on my face because his expression turned a touch rueful. "I know Ron tends to think before he speaks when he's upset, and this is going to upset him."

I nodded. "That's the last thing I wanted."

"I know. What's done is done. If you need someone to mediate when you tell the father, you can do it here." He thought for a moment. "Well, perhaps not here. But if you need me there, you just have to let me know." He squeezed my arm reassuringly. "Go have a bath, make one of your lists. Are you getting sick?"

As if on cue, there was a fresh wave of nausea. I nodded.

"I'll mention it to Molly. She was very sick with Charlie, the twins, and Ginny, she might have something that can help." He squeezed my arm again and then released me. "Go on, Hermione. Go and relax and work out a plan."

I nodded. I slid off the stool and left the garage, headed back to the house. Ron avoided me as much as he could these days, spending most of his time off at Harry's, so I wasn't really worried about running into him. I drew a bath for myself and sank into it. Just a few minutes. Just a few minutes and then I would sit down at the desk in Percy's old room and figure out what I needed to do.

**A/N: AllisonHope2- Thank you! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, I flooed Ginny. Formerly, I would have just shown up, but she and the man she was living with- it felt odd to call him her boyfriend when he was just a few years younger than Arthur- were known to enjoy each other's company rather freely about the house.

A house-elf appeared within seconds. "Missy Hermione," she said, looking at me where my head stuck out of the fireplace. "Does you want to speak to Missy Ginevra?"

"Please," I told her politely, and she vanished.

In just a moment or two, Ginny came into view. "Hermione! How are you?"

"Can I... Come over and talk to you?"

"Of course! Come right through."

The disorientation of pulling my head out of the green flames nearly made me get sick. I had to wait for the feeling to fade, long enough that the floo connection closed. I threw another handful of floo powder into the fireplace and said, "Malfoy Manor," a little weakly, and then stepped into the green flames.

I wobbled as I stepped out of the fire, and Ginny was right there to steady me. "I was getting a little worried, 'Mione," she told me, concerned. "Are you ok?"

I shook my head and let her lead me to a nearby chair, which I sank into gratefully. "Need a minute," I managed, leaning back and closing my eyes.

"Kitty!" I heard Ginny call. "A glass of water, please."

A crack, and then another one, and then Ginny was saying, "Thank you." I felt her press the cool glass into my hand and I took it and sipped at it.

"Thanks," I told her. I opened my eyes to find her kneeling beside the chair.

"You do not look well at all," she told me, worry all over her face.

"I'm pregnant," I blurted out.

She sat back, her eyes widening, entirely speechless. "You and Ron broke up," she said after a while. "Not Ron's?"

"No." I took another sip of water.

Lucius Malfoy appeared in the doorway, and I closed my eyes again. "Is everything all right?" he asked, and I could hear a note of concern in his voice as well. "Kitty was quite worried. Do we need to take you to a Healer?"

I heard Ginny stand up and walk to the doorway. "She's fine," she murmured to him. "I'll tell you later."

She came back to me and took my hand. "What happened, Hermione?"

I opened my eyes to see she'd pulled an ottoman close and was sitting on it, holding my hand. Lucius had disappeared somewhere in the depths of the house. I took another sip of the water. "Ron broke up with me and I went out and got drunk that night. And I met..." I trailed off. I couldn't bring myself to say his name.

"You're not on any sort of contraception? I know you and Ron were..." She paused and her cheeks went a little pink. "Living together," she finished finally.

"We were. But then we were having a bit of a rough patch and we'd stopped..." I trailed off, and I could feel the heat rising in my own cheeks. I'd stopped talking to her about my sex-life when I'd first gotten together with Ron. "We _hadn't_ in a while, and I didn't renew it at the beginning of the month."

She looked decidedly uncomfortable to be talking about my lack of sex with her brother. "So you had a one-off, now you're pregnant. Getting married?" From the expression on her face, she knew the answer to the question before she'd even asked it.

I shook my head vehemently. "Not. Happening."

"Too bad you didn't talk to Charlie about drunken one-offs beforehand."

"Charlie?"

"That's apparently why he is now living in Romania instead of the reserve in Wales." Her expression grew suddenly pained. "Does Mum know?"

I nodded. Judging by the looks she'd given me that morning over breakfast, Arthur had mentioned it. "I think your dad told her."

"She's probably going to try and talk Charlie into proposing to you." She winced as she said the last words. She knew exactly how I was going to take that.

I sat up a little. "What?"

"Well, Ron... won't. And I don't think she would feel comfortable doing it to Harry. She's going to be worried about your reputation and Charlie's single."

I sank back against the seat and closed my eyes again. "I just... don't..." My eyes were filling with tears again. "Brightest witch of my age and I wind up pregnant from a one-off. I'm not going to tie someone else's life to mine just because I made a mistake."

"You're lucky I'm with Lucius, or he'd probably try and pressure Draco into marrying you."

I shook my head violently enough that another wave of nausea washed over me and I sank back against the seat. "No," was all I said.

She nodded and patted my knee. "So whose is it?" she asked.

I watched her for a moment, considering the merits of telling her. It was a bad idea, I decided after a moment. "I... haven't told him. I don't want to tell anyone who it is before he knows." I took another sip of my water. "I sent him an owl to meet with me tomorrow for lunch." I looked up at her. "I won't be able to have lunch with you, I'm sorry." She worked at the Ministry of Magic too, and we usually had lunch together.

"That's fine. I'll get Lucius to take me somewhere fancy." She grinned at me and I rolled my eyes. "We usually just come back here. Kitty spoils me."

"I'm glad you're so happy, Ginny," I told her sincerely, and I could feel the hot sting of tears. I didn't remember telling her that since she and Lucius had gotten together at the beginning of the year. "I'm sorry, I just cry at everything," I told her, my voice thick with emotion.

"It's fine," she told me gently. "I am happy. I didn't ever think I would find happiness here, of all places, but... we are. He won't say anything, Hermione." I nodded. I'd known she was going to tell him when I'd decided to tell her. She'd told me that they always told each other the truth- and aside from that, they were absolutely enraptured with each other. He had a thing about public affection; it was completely improper. The looks they gave each other, though, were hot enough to melt iron- even in public. "And neither will Narcissa."

"Narcissa?" I echoed, rubbing the tears away. The former Mrs. Malfoy had divorced her husband and was now living in the restored house at 12 Grimmauld Place, where Sirius and Luna lived when they weren't at Hogwarts. What did she have to do with anything?

"Kitty tells her everything." Kitty was one of their house-elves. "Do you want to stay here for dinner, or are you going to go home and face the family?"

It was Sunday, and every Sunday there was a big family dinner at The Burrow. Ginny had stopped going, for the most part, after she'd moved in with Lucius, mostly because he wasn't welcome there. "I might just go home and go to bed," I told her. "I don't know that I'm really up to eating and I've just been getting so tired lately."

"Fleur apparently has a remedy from her grandmother for the sickness, I remember her giving it to Luna." She patted my knee. "Do you want me to floo her? I'll ask that they not say anything to anyone, I'm willing to bet you haven't told my brother yet."

I nodded a little reluctantly. "Please. I would do anything to feel better."

She went over to the fireplace and flooed Shell Cottage. After a couple of minutes, she pulled her head back out of the fire. "She'll take it to The Burrow when they go for dinner." She looked at me critically for a moment. "Are you feeling any better?"

I nodded. "I am, thank you."

"You look a little better. Do you want to go and visit the library? Lucius is working in there, but he won't pay us any attention."

I hesitated for a moment before nodding. It was still a little hard for me to be at Malfoy Manor, even after all that time and the fact that Ginny had had the drawing room where I'd been tortured completely redone so that it didn't look remotely like it had. But Malfoy Manor's library was absolutely wonderful, and was actually the main reason I'd gone there. I thought there was more of a chance of finding books on pregnancy for witches there than there would be at library at the Black home.

She offered me her hand and helped me stand up, waiting for me to stop wobbling before we left the room and went down the hall to where the library was. "No more floo calls, maybe?" she suggested, concerned. "They make me all dizzy and I'm not currently spending part of the day being sick. If you need anything, just show up, ok? Call for Kitty, she'll make sure you don't see anything you don't want to." Color flooded her face as she spoke the last part.

I nodded, and I had to smile a little bit. "I will. I think I'll probably stick to owls for the most part."

"Good. You're going to move out of there, aren't you?" she asked, concerned. "I love Ron, but he doesn't always think. I remember how miserable he made you during school when his pride was hurt."

"I'm going to have to. This will definitely hurt his pride."

"You're welcome to stay here, Hermione. I know Lucius wouldn't mind."

"But then you'd have to stop having sex in the hall," I told her drily.

She grinned, her cheeks getting a little pink again. "To be fair, Draco wasn't supposed to be coming over until the next day..." The door to the library was ajar and she pushed it all the way open.

As soon as we entered, Lucius rose from where he was sitting at his desk. He came around to where we were and took Ginny's hand and kissed it, making her cheeks even more pink. His cool gray eyes came over to me. "You look better," he observed.

I nodded. "I'm feeling a little better." I considered for a moment before pressing on. "I'm... Expecting." Ginny was going to tell him anyway, I might as well just get it out of the way.

His eyebrow arched up his forehead. "Congratulations," he said after a moment.

"I'm not telling a whole lot of people yet. And I'm not getting married," I tacked on after a moment when he opened his mouth to speak again. I turned from him and headed over to where the bookshelves started, and behind me I could hear he and Ginny having a hushed conversation.

"Miss Granger," he called. "Hermione," he added after a moment's pause. We were tentatively on a first-name basis. He was in a serious relationship with Ginny and I was her best friend and while we weren't friends, we were at least friendly toward each other because we both loved Ginny.

I turned towards him. "Yes?"

"If you need somewhere else to live, you are welcome here." His tone and his face were neutral, but he seemed sincere enough.

"Thank you," I replied. "I haven't figured out what I'm going to do, but I appreciate the offer."

He nodded. "I also have unoccupied property in London, although you shouldn't be living on your own."

That actually seemed a little more likely. "Thank you," I repeated. "I'll let you know." I saw him bend over to say something in Ginny's ear and I turned back to the books.

Lucius was actually surprisingly lenient about me borrowing books from the library at Malfoy Manor. I always returned them in a timely fashion, and I always took good care of them. This library was bigger than the one at the Black home, simply because there was more room for it.

Kitty appeared at my elbow. "Can I be helping Missy Hermione find something?" she asked me.

I had learned my lesson about house-elves. I'd helped write and enact legislature for their treatment while they weren't free, and guidelines for what to do with those elves that wanted to be free, and that was the extent of what I could do. My only hope was that, as more and more house-elves became free, they would spread the desire to be free among those that were not.

Kitty very definitely did not want to be free. She was as friendly to me as Kreacher was, though in her case it was mostly because I was Ginny's friend. And she liked Ginny because Narcissa encouraged Ginny and Lucius' relationship, and Kitty was very loyal to her former mistress; apparently to the point of still telling her everything, even though the former Mrs Malfoy was living at an entirely different address.

"Are there any books on pregnancy for witches?" I asked her. I could feel a little bit of heat in my cheeks at asking the question, but I looked at her evenly.

"Missy Hermione comes with me." She led me further into the library and pointed to a shelf.

"Thank you, Kitty," I told her, and she offered me a bow before disappearing. There were a large number of pertinent books and I took a few of the more likely-looking ones down, balancing them in my arms as I went back to my friend.

Lucius was sitting at his desk again and Ginny was standing behind him, her hand on his shoulder, looking down at whatever he was working on, the absolute picture of domestic bliss. They both looked up at me as I neared.

"Is it alright if I borrow these?" I asked.

"Certainly," Lucius answered promptly.

"Thank you."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" Ginny asked.

I nodded. "Thank you, but I think I should go home."

"I will see you out," Lucius informed me, pulling himself to his feet. He walked over to me and held out his hands and, after a moment, I gave him the books to carry. I wasn't up to the argument that would happen if I insisted that I could carry them on my own. Balancing the books in one arm, he offered me the other and, after a moment, I took it. He escorted me back down the hall to where the floo connection was.

"You must not live alone," he told me.

I glanced up at him, my eyebrow raised. "And why not?" He had some very... old-fashioned ideas about what was proper. If he was going to start in on me about getting married, I was going to tell him exactly how I felt about it, whether or not I was really feeling up to it.

"If something goes amiss, you'll want someone to help you." The certainty in his tone spoke of personal experience. "I understand the urgency to move out of your current home and I know you're not comfortable here, but Narcissa would be willing to have you at the Black family home."

I was a little surprised. "You're not going to insist I get married?" I asked incredulously.

"My dear, I am entirely aware of how _headstrong_ you are." He was using 'headstrong' in place of what was certainly a far less tactful word. "And upsetting you, especially in your _delicate condition_, would more than likely upset my dear Ginevra."

"Delicate condition?" I challenged.

"If I recall correctly, not too long ago you were all but _unconscious_ in my front room. You are still considerably more pale than you are normally. One does not have to be a Healer to see that you're not feeling entirely well." Well, Ginny had never said that he wasn't extremely arrogant anymore.

I narrowed my eyes, but he wasn't wrong. We came to the fireplace and he handed me back the books. "Let me know if there's anything more I can do for you." From the tone, it was an instruction rather than an offer.

"I will. Thank you." I flooed back home.

**A/N:** **Thank you for the comments! :D **


	4. Chapter 4

Dinner that evening was a little strange. Fleur kept looking at me and beaming. She was already starting to show and well over her own first trimester symptoms, and she slipped me a small bit of parchment when no one else was looking.

Molly kept looking at me and shaking her head a little, but she didn't say anything. When I begged off early to go to bed and Ron asked, "Oi, what's with you?" she snapped at him to mind his own business.

Crookshanks had been sticking quite near to me for the past couple of months, and now I knew why. That night was no exception. He sat in the doorway to the kitchen to watch me eat and when I went upstairs, he followed as closely as he could without being a tripping hazard, watching over me until I got into bed, where he promptly curled up with me to sleep.

The next morning, Molly had a bowl of porridge waiting for me when I got to the bottom of the stairs. "You need to eat small portions all day," she cautioned me. "Something in your stomach will help it stay settled."

"Thank you," I offered. I sat down to the wonderfully bland breakfast and added just a little bit of sugar. "I haven't had a chance to brew that potion Fleur gave me the recipe for, but if it's all right with you, I thought I'd do it in the kitchen tonight after dinner."

She clucked her tongue. "If you'd like, I can brew it while you're at work." She sounded incredibly dubious about the whole thing.

"Really? You don't have other things you need to get done?"

She shook her head. "I'm not sure it'll work, mind, but Luna insisted that it helped her."

"That would be lovely, thank you." I hadn't been sure how I was going to manage staying up to do it, but if Molly did it for me, that would really help out.

When I got to work that morning, I went directly to Kingsley's office instead of my own. I knocked briefly and entered when he invited me in.

"Ah, Hermione." He greeted me with a warm smile and gestured to one of the chairs opposite his desk. "What can I do for you this morning?" He was already working, the top of his desk was covered with a multitude of papers. He'd been incredibly busy since the war had ended over three years ago, and there wasn't any sign of it slowing down at all. What I was about to tell him might help- at least one of the things I was about to tell him.

I walked over to one of the chairs and sat down with a heavy sigh. "Kingsley, I need to tell you something," I said without preamble.

The smile faded somewhat. "What is it?" He sounded worried, concerned for me.

I stared hard at the top of the desk between us. "I'm... pregnant."

He looked at me for a moment without saying anything. He set his quill down and pursed his lips, thinking. "You and Mr. Weasley-"

"No," I cut him off quickly. "No. Not Ron. And no, I'm not getting married." I was getting really tired of saying that, but I could almost see the question reflected in his dark eyes.

"I see." He watched me for another moment. "Congratulations." He sounded as though he wasn't sure if that's what I wanted to hear.

I nodded briefly, accepting his well-wishes. "Is there some sort of maternity plan?" I asked. This was the real reason I'd told him at this point. I did consider him a friend, though perhaps not one of my closest friends, but if I could have avoided telling him for a while, I would have. I needed to start getting things prepared for the baby, though, and that included knowing what I could expect as far as leave and how things would go with work.

He rubbed his forehead, and then he folded his arms in front of him. "Yes. I'll have the information sent to you today." He studied me for a moment, and then he picked up his quill and made a note on one of his myriad pieces of paper. "Do you know when you'll be expecting to give birth?"

"In April." I'd worked it out last night after reading part of one of the books I'd borrowed.

"If you need to take time off to attend to anything, just let me know when." He peered at me another moment with his dark eyes. "And if there's anything I can do, please tell me," he offered in his slow, deep voice.

I took a deep breath. "I need to find a flat. I'm going to try and do it this weekend, but I may need to take some time off of work."

"Whatever you need. If you can let me know at least a day ahead of time, that would be good. If you can't, however..." He rubbed his hand across his forehead again. "If you can't, then you can't. This is unexpected."

"Very," I agreed. "Believe me, this was the last thing on my mind... The timing and just..." I paused, shaking my head.

"Are you all right?"

I realized I was fussing with my hair, which Luna told me I did when I was anxious or troubled about something. "I don't know," I answered honestly. "I have to be, I mean, I'm going to be someone's mum. It's a little late to be worried about whether or not this is a good idea."

"Take some time," he advised me. I opened my mouth to protest, but he held up a hand to forestall me. "Take some time to adjust to this, Hermione. It's momentous, even moreso if it wasn't something that was planned or even expected."

"You mean, take some time off of work?" I was completely incredulous. He knew how dedicated I was.

He chuckled at my expression. "If you need to, though I think I know you a little better than that. I meant more, take some time to let yourself be not all right with this. Take some time to get used to the idea that it's happening before you push ahead with everything."

"I'll think about it." Which we both knew meant no. "There's something else."

"Something else?" he echoed, sounding just a little alarmed.

I had to smile a little at his expression. "Nothing else like that, don't worry. But I was thinking last night, the Ministry needs a Personnel Department."

"Personnel Department?" He folded his arms across his chest again and considered me.

"Yes. You must have dealt with something like that when you were working with the Prime Minister."

He nodded thoughtfully. "It would considerably streamline things here."

"And help discourage things from going back to the way they were." Unlike under previous Ministers of Magic, employment and promotion at the Ministry now had more to do with how capable you were at doing your job than how much money you were willing to give the Minister.

"There would be a certain... resistance to changing things."

I nodded. "There would. But there would also be a lot less sexual harassment."

He frowned. "I do my best to keep it in hand."

I gave him a sympathetic look. "I know. But you're only one man, Kingsley, and there are hundreds of people working here. Not to mention that I think some of the lower-ranking employees are a little intimidated by you."

His frown grew. "I don't know why."

I shrugged. "The title. None of the previous Ministers were really that approachable unless you were holding a handful of galleons. Can you picture me trying to talk to Cornelius Fudge about something serious? Or even Rufus Scrimgeour? Suggest to him that he have a Personnel Department?"

He nodded slowly. He was the first actually approachable Minister of Magic that I'd ever heard of. "They could go to someone higher up in their departments." From the sound of his voice, he knew that wasn't always an option.

"Ginny didn't go to you because she figured that she should be able to handle it on her own."

"Ginny?" He stood up and came around to lean his hip on the front of the desk. "Malfoy?"

I nodded. "Obviously things worked out pretty well for both of them, but it doesn't always. Penny won't say anything about it, but she seems pretty relieved that she's working for a woman now." Penny had been made my assistant when I transferred to my current position.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead again. "You've put a lot of thought into this."

"It relaxes me and helps distract me from... Things." I rested my hand over my belly.

He studied me for a little while longer. "It is a good idea," he said at last. "I'd put you in charge of this, but I need you where you are. You're putting in a lot of good work here and, as talented as you are, I'm not sure you would be able to devote the amount of time that both projects really need if you had to split your time between them." He gave me a wry grin. "I assume you have a suggestion for who should take on this project, should we decide to go ahead with it."

"Angelina Johnson," I answered promptly, causing him to nod. She was currently working in the Department of Magical Games and Sports. "She has experience with leadership and decisions and making people listen to her." She handled George pretty well, and if she could handle George, she could probably handle anyone. "And Ginny as her deputy head."

"Ginny Weasley? She's a little young, isn't she?"

I raised an eyebrow. "She won't take any nonsense from anyone, and her... boyfriend is still pretty intimidating to a lot of the more established employees." I offered him my own wry smile. "I think that, at this point, it's fairly clear that he's not going to go back to his old ways." Lucius had been hired by the Ministry so they would more easily be able to keep an eye on him, and Ginny was hired specifically for that purpose. "Being young means she'll have enough energy to be able to really commit to the project. And she's a pureblood."

He was frowning again. He understood as well as I did that there were those who would automatically oppose anything that didn't come from a pureblood because 'those of Muggle descent just don't truly understand the wizarding world.' Even after the war, I was still considered a second-class citizen in certain circles, just because my parents were Muggles. And even Angelina, as a half-blood, would have some people looking down on her, ready to dismiss her out-of-hand. "How far are you into drawing up the proposal?"

He knew me well. "I should be able to have it finished by tonight."

"I trust you'll be able to have it on my office in the morning?"

I nodded. "First thing," I promised.

"I know I can trust your discretion."

"Of course." More secrets.

He pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I trust that you'll have everything sufficiently detailed, but I'll need you to be available to Miss Johnson to answer any questions or concerns she may have. I'll schedule a meeting for the four of us just as soon as I've had a chance to look over your proposal and make notes or changes as needed, and work out the logistics." He looked at me for long moment. "Do you think they'll be on board with this? I don't want to waste anyone's time here."

I considered the question for a moment. "I think so. Angelina is very ambitious, and I think Ginny is starting to get a little restless with where she is right now, I know she doesn't intend on being a professional assistant for the rest of her life."

"Good. Is there anything else, Hermione?"

"That's it for now." I stood up. "I should get started for the day. I may be a little late back from lunch."

He straightened and moved with me across the office to the door, which he opened. "I'll have that information to you by the end of the day."

"Thank you." I left him and went to my office, and tried to get started on my work. I'd moved offices since I started, I was now on level two instead of level four, and my office was bigger. And, of course, I had my own assistant.

I found I couldn't concentrate on my work. I kept going through things in my head. Lists of the things I needed to get done, possible scenarios of the way lunch would play out, what Ron would do when he found out... That led into needing to get a flat, which led back into lists of the things I needed to get done.

**A/N: Thank you for the comments! :D As for the questions on whether or not this is a Dramione story, it has Dramione in it, but that's not the main focus of the story.**


	5. Chapter 5

Finally, thankfully, it was time for lunch. I told Penny to take the afternoon off and headed out to the floos. I didn't know when I would be getting back, I didn't want her sitting around all afternoon twiddling her thumbs. I could get along without her for a few hours.

I'd invited him to meet at a nearby cafe. I'd received an owl back telling me that he would be there, but even on the parchment his word choice came across as very skeptical. I hadn't seen him in almost two months. I didn't want to see him now. I'd debated just not telling him, but I knew that it would probably come back around to me later, and not in a good way. At least this way, if he told me he wanted nothing to do with the baby, then I'd done what I could. And, going from what he'd said about his father- and the elder Malfoy's pride- there was a good chance that Lucius would be very upset if he had a grandchild running around somewhere that he knew nothing about.

Even if we weren't married.

Even if the baby was a half-blood.

When I arrived at the cafe, I ordered a bowl of vegetable soup for myself, despite the warmth of the late summer day. I wasn't sure I'd be able to keep much else down. I took a seat on the balcony, out in the sunshine. Around me, there were Muggle business meetings and fellow Ministry employees out on their lunches, most of us without our official Ministry robes. I'd left mine in my office.

I kept looking around, jumping just a bit every time I saw blond hair. He was late, according to the watch on my wrist, and I was getting more and more impatient as the minutes passed.

Finally, he came striding toward me, elegant in a black business suit. He was a good looking man, and he was at least reasonably intelligent, if a bit weak-willed. There were far worse men to have a child with, and considering how drunk I'd been that night, I'd actually been fairly lucky. "Granger," he greeted, slinging himself down opposite me. He was cooly expectant, glancing at his own watch as though to convey that he was busy and I was keeping him from something infinitely more important.

I swallowed my irritation, focusing instead on casting the _Muffliato _charm_._ "Hi. Are you going to get some lunch?"

"No, I ate already. Your note said that this was urgent. What could possibly be urgent enough to pull you out of work in the middle of the day?"A smirk covered his face. "You should know that I'm back together with Pansy, so as much fun as that night was, it won't be happening again." He was so sure that's what I'd called him out here for. I couldn't help but feel a little stab of satisfaction that the idea that I was going to take the wind out of his sails. In a big way.

But that quickly faded away as the reality of the situation settled in. I took a deep breath and looked intently at my soup. "I'm... I'm pregnant, Draco."

He was silent. I looked up and saw that he was staring at me like I'd suddenly turned orange. "What?" I'd stunned him into forgetting his manners.

"Pregnant." I paused, taking in the disbelief on his face. "I am currently gestating a fetus." I paused again. "Your fetus," I clarified, because his expression showed me he wasn't quite following me.

He was an uncomfortable shade of green. "What do you mean, mine?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I've done some research, right, and _apparently_ sometimes when a man and woman have sex, the sperm can penetrate the egg, and if the fertilized egg implants in the uterus-"

He cut me off with a weak gesture of his hand. "You're sure it's mine? Not the Weasel's?"

"Positive," I said fiercely.

He stared at me, disbelief etched into his face. "Are you going to, ah, keep it?"

"Yes," I answered swiftly. "Don't ever ask me that again."

He stared at me for a moment, and then a suspicious look came into his eyes. "You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

"Oh, of course I did! I figured, what this whole situation needs is for me to have a baby with the son of the man my best friend is living with- who is, incidentally, four years younger than her dad. That sounds perfectly logical and reasonable and not awkward at all!" I glared at him.

At the mention of Lucius, Draco turned just a little more green. "You haven't told him yet, have you?"

I shook my head. "He knows I'm pregnant, I was over there yesterday to borrow some books and it... came up. You're the only one who knows that it's..."

"Mine," he whispered. "Let me tell him." It came out almost as a plea.

"Fine." That meant telling, well, no one. Rumors circulated almost faster than air, especially if the rumor happened to have the potential to be scandalous. This, this certainly had the potential to be scandalous. I was okay with not telling anyone. I didn't exactly want to admit that I'd had a one-off with... Draco Malfoy. What had I been thinking? I hadn't been thinking. That's what the problem was.

He buried his face in his hands. "Pansy is going to murder me." After a moment, he looked up, gray eyes filled with accusation. "Why didn't you use a charm?"

I stared at him, hard. "Why didn't you?"

"I was a little drunk."

"Yeah, I was too, if you'll remember." There was no way I was going to let him pin this all on me.

"You were the one who'd just finished a relationship, how was I supposed to know that you and Weasley were trying for a kid?"

"We weren't, we just-" I cut myself off abruptly and sighed. I wasn't up for having a fight in the middle of the cafe, especially not about this. "It doesn't matter. We both messed up. You're going to have to take some responsibility for your part in this, Malfoy, I certainly didn't impregnate myself."

"I don't want to marry you." He was almost pleading.

"Good! I'm not marrying you!" I snapped.

He stared at me, as though he was unsure of what I meant. "What do you mean, you're not marrying me?"

"As much fun as our drunken tryst was, and how awkward the next morning was," here he nodded, and then stopped abruptly when he realized what he was doing, "marriage to each other would be the biggest mistake either one of us would ever make. Fun family get-togethers aside, I would kill you."

He was silent for a while, but he didn't protest what I'd said. "What do you expect me to do?" he asked finally.

I shrugged. That was an easy one. "Nothing."

"What do you mean nothing?" He eyed me shrewdly, as though he was looking for some sort of hidden meaning in my words.

"Nothing," I repeated mildly.

"You obviously told me for a reason."

"I did. I thought you might like to be involved, that your parents would probably like a chance to be involved." I swallowed, looking at him. "I want you to be involved, provided you're actually going to be a positive influence in the baby's life. But as far as what I expect? Nothing. Unplanned pregnancy notwithstanding, I'm actually fairly intelligent and resourceful. I'll be able to work this out on my own." I looked down into my soup, almost like I was dismissing him.

But of course, he was Draco Malfoy, and no one dismissed him before he was ready to go. "Money."

I shook my head. "I don't expect anything. My job pays fairly well and I have that restitution money put away." At the end of the war, I'd been given restitution from both the Lestrange estate and the Malfoys for what had happened to me at Malfoy Manor.

"Don't be stupid!" he snapped, coming completely alert now. "If you won't marry me, I will be giving you some fucking money. Use it now, put it away for the baby, I don't care."

He seemed to think I would argue, but I nodded my acceptance. It wasn't worth arguing over. I'd put it away and give it to the baby when he or she became of age. "I'll be raising the baby as a Granger." And this was where I expected him to argue.

Sure enough, there was a stubborn set to his jaw. "Nonsense. The baby is a Malfoy."

"No. My baby will not have a different last name than me."

"My father-"

"Is not raising this child." We glared at each other for a time, and he looked away first.

"All right," he ceded finally. "I think my parents will want to be involved."

I nodded too, relaxing now that the whole surname business was settled. "That's good. I..." I trailed off, trying desperately to keep the bitterness out of my voice. "I don't have any, it would be good for the baby to have some grandparents." There were the tears. Always with the tears.

He looked as though I'd just slapped him. "Merlin, Hermione, don't cry." He was pleading again, he sounded helpless. "You can't do this to me, I'm not good with tears." He pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to me and I mopped at my eyes.

"I don't mean to," I told him fiercely. "I can't help it!" I was loud enough that people were starting to stare, even despite the charm.

He swore at the attention we were getting and shifted to the chair to my left, pulling it closer to me so he could rest his arm gently around my shoulders. "Come on, you're stronger than this. You... We can do this." A look to him showed that he was turning somewhat green again.

I shook my head. The tears had stopped, at least. "It was a one-off, Draco. It didn't mean anything to either one of us. I'm not going to demand that you be involved in the baby's life because we made a bad decision."

"No," he said fiercely. "No. I know what it's like to have a father that's not really involved in your life." I stared resolutely at the table so he wouldn't see the sympathy in my eyes. I knew he wouldn't want it. "It's better now, better since..." He trailed off and cleared his throat. "No. I'm going to be involved." He paused. "I don't think I'll be able to be there for the birth. Blood just..."

I looked up at him in time to see him shudder again. "That's fine," I said quickly. I wasn't sure I wanted him at the birth anyway, to see me when I was so vulnerable...

"So, what do you need? I'm certain you've planned out every single detail of this, what's next?" He put a brave face, a thin veneer over the terror lurking just beneath.

"I need a flat. I need to tell..." That part was none of his business.

"I have a flat."

I gave him skeptical look. "I'm not living with you either, Draco."

He smirked at me. "Good. You're probably rubbish as a flatmate. No, we own property. That's what the Malfoy family business is." He squeezed my shoulders. "I'll have the landlord show it to you. Saturday?"

I let out a relieved sigh. "That would be so wonderful."

"I'll owl you the address. I'll make sure he doesn't charge you rent."

"You don't need to do that."

"Of course not. But if you're going to be... to be..." He trailed off, staring down at my belly. "Are you really pregnant?"

"I really am."

"Shit, Hermione."

"Yeah."

"When are you... Due?" he asked after another moment.

"April."

He was looking a little green again. "April. That's a lot of time to tell them."

I gave him a look. "The sooner the better, I'd think. Apparently your mum needed to see a Healer while she was pregnant with you and I need to ask her if there's anything I need to worry about." I paused, thinking. "My birthday is this week, they're having a bit of a party for me at The Burrow this weekend. Do you want to..." I trailed off, seeing the expression on his face. "The Weasleys are my family," I snapped. "Your family too," I added pointedly, and it was worth it to see him pale a little. "How's your stepmum?"

"They're not married," he protested, almost pleading.

"Just a matter of time, have you seen the way-"

"Granger!"

I sighed. As much as I enjoyed baiting him, I was probably going to have to stop. "If you want to be involved, we're going to have to get along, at the very least." That was a reminder to myself as much as it was to him.

"I seem to remember we got along fairly well." His voice had taken on a husky tone, something I remembered all too well from the night that had led us to this point.

I gave him another pointed look. "_That_ is not happening again."

"I don't see why not." I peered at him, my mind having a hard time processing this sudden change. "Pansy's going to chuck me permanently for this, we had a good time. It's not like anything else can happen." His arm was still around me and his fingers started tracing slow circles on my shoulder.

"Draco Malfoy, if you don't remove your arm from my person this _second_, I will remove it for you," I hissed.

He smirked, but he did take his arm back. "Can't blame a bloke for trying." At my continued glare, he seemed to wilt a little. "I don't know how to deal with this," he admitted.

"You and me both," I said with a heavy sigh. I eyed the mostly-untouched bowl of soup and pushed it away. "I'm going to ask Molly to help me deliver the baby."

He nodded. "That's a good idea." His eyebrow raised, a perfect imitation of his father, as he took in my surprised expression. "Don't be so shocked. My mother doesn't have nearly as much experience with this whole business as Mrs Weasley, and I think it's important that you're comfortable with it." A smirk settled over his face again. "So, are you going to ruin your party by dropping in that you're pregnant- oh and by the way, not the Weasel's? I might actually show up for that."

"Tell you what. You tell Lucius by Friday night and I'll bring Ron out to your office this weekend and tell him in front of you." I didn't actually know where his office was, but I assumed I'd be pretty safe in not having to find out.

"That is tempting." He looked down at my belly again. "I need to get going. We should get together once a week or something." He met my eyes and smirked at my surprised expression, an echo of his usual confidence. "Easier to be involved if I'm already used to getting together with you, and you can keep me updated. Let me know if you need anything. For you, for the..." He trailed off, staring at my abdomen. "Let me know." It was an echo of his father's instruction.

I nodded. He hesitated for a moment, then leaned forward and gave me a quick peck on the cheek before rising and striding out.

I sighed and pushed my spoon around in my bowl. Well, I'd done it. I'd told the father. It had actually gone better than I'd thought it would. I was quite relieved that he wanted to be involved.

**A/N: Thank you for the lovely reviews! :D**


	6. Chapter 6

Saturday came too soon, it seemed. I got up in the morning and, after breakfast and a friendly offer from Arthur to help me take a look at the flat, which I politely declined, I got dressed in a pair of jeans and a jumper and Apparated out to the address Draco had given me. It was very quiet there. I was at the end of a lane out in a more remote area of County Durham, much like how The Burrow was situated. I could see a tall white house on the other side of the street, with a small porch and small front garden.

There was a very familiar sandy-haired wizard waiting for me, and the customary easy smile broke out over his face when he saw me. "Hermione Granger," he said, walking toward me and pulling me into a friendly hug.

"Seamus!" I embraced him and then pulled back, one eyebrow raised in question. I hadn't seen him since the annual Victory Ball in May. He looked about the same as he always did; his shirt was untucked, his hair was unkempt like he'd just rolled out of bed, his blue eyes twinkled with his customary good humor. Out here, in the middle of nowhere, there was only one reason for him to be here. "You're Malfoy's landlord?"

"That'd be me." He sounded proud and amused at the same time.

"How did that end up happening?" I asked. Seamus was one of the last people I'd expected to see.

"Mam had this house left to her. Things've been a bit tight after the war, Malfoy offered to buy it. Said he wanted to convert it to flats and have someone he trusted running it."

I stared at him for a moment. "He said he trusted you?"

He laughed at the expression on my face. "You look almost as surprised as I was. He's not a bad sort now."

"How is this the first time I'm hearing about this place?" I hadn't seen Seamus in a while, but Ron, Harry and Neville kept in touch with him. I was really surprised that Ron hadn't taken the flat here when he and I had split up- but then Draco still didn't seem to care for him too much, even though I knew Draco and Harry, at least, were on speaking terms.

He shrugged. "He wants to keep it quiet-like. I'm not going to argue."

I sighed, folding my arms over my chest. "So are there..." I struggled with my phrasing for a moment, trying to stay respectful. "Elderly people living here?" That would explain why it was quiet. Babies were noisy, I didn't want to be disrupting anyone.

He laughed again. "It's three flats, I've got the bottom floor. There's a sweet girl up top, you remember Daphne?" I nodded. "Her younger sister, Astoria. I get the feeling she moved out here because she's not big on being a socialite."

I hesitated, looking into his blue eyes. "How much did Draco tell you about me?" I was trying to find out if Draco had mentioned that I was pregnant. If not, I'd need to tell Seamus at some point so there wasn't just an unexpected baby.

"Nothing. Just that he had someone he wanted moved in and I wasn't to worry about rent." Of course he hadn't said anything. Draco wasn't exactly big on overt bravery.

I had a sudden thought. "That's not... I'm not cutting into your pay am I?"

"No. He pays me regardless." He nudged my arm with his elbow. "I'm a little curious why you're moving in here for nothing, though. Thought they paid you up after the war."

"They did. This is... Unrelated."

He scrutinized me for a moment. "You're up the duff?"

I stared at him for a moment, completely speechless. How did he know that? "How..." I couldn't make myself ask the question.

"Hermione, there are only two reasons a wizard like Malfoy pays for a witch's home in a quiet place like this. She's his mistress, or she's having his baby. I don't think he's Confunded anyone enough to agree to marry him and I can't picture you and he getting serious-like anyway, especially with Ginny settled in with his da." He gave me an apologetic smile.

I nodded numbly. "I... am." Well, I suppose that settled the issue of letting him know there was going to be an additional person living in the flat.

He patted my shoulder. "Let me show you the place." I was reassured that he didn't immediately ask me if I was getting married. He gestured across the street and we walked together across to the smooth stone path and up the porch steps to the front door. There was a small foyer with a flight of stairs immediately in front of me and a closed door to my right. He spoke from behind me. "That one's mine. You need anything, just knock on the door. If I'm not here, I'm usually up in Hogsmeade, just a Patronus away."

I stepped aside to let him precede me up the stairs. There was a small landing with another flight of stairs up, facing the opposite direction, and another closed door on the right. "This is it." He touched his wand to the door and it swung open.

We stepped into a large, empty room. "Sitting room. Kitchen's just there." The kitchen was a little on the small side, but it seemed to have everything one needed in a kitchen, including what I assumed was a magically operated range. He led me down the short hall. "Two bedrooms, the loo, and that's a linen cupboard," he finished, pointing to a closed door at the end.

It was very clean and well-kept. The windows looked well-insulated, the wood floors gleamed. It wasn't large, but it was spacious enough. The master bedroom was just a little bigger than Percy's old room, the second bedroom just a little smaller. The back garden was large and fenced in, with a tree growing close enough to the house that, if I left the window open for him, Crookshanks could come and go as he wished.

"It's nice," I remarked, and he gave me a proud grin.

"It's quiet. There's a Muggle town nearby for your shopping, but they don't come out here. It's unplottable, if that matters." We'd come to a stop in the master bedroom and he stood to the side, his hands in his pockets.

My eyes swept around the room again and then I looked over at him. "Can I have Crookshanks here?"

"Don't see why not. Do you have your own owl?" I shook my head. "There's one here, her name's Stella. She'll come to the window if you call for her."

"I didn't see a fireplace," I observed.

He shook his head. "That's one thing we don't have in each flat. I have one if you have an emergency, but you'll need to Apparate and owl everywhere, for the most part. You'll have to nip back across the road to Apparate too, we can't in here."

My stomach roiled at the memory of flooing Ginny. "That's fine," I said hurriedly. I'd have to ask Arthur if he had any of the old tokens left. The floos had been reconnected to the Ministry, but some people still Apparated to just outside and entered that way.

"It's yours if you want it, Hermione."

I took another look around the room- the white ceiling and plain walls, the pale wood floor. "When can I move in?"

"Whenever you want."

"Today?"

He smiled and shrugged. "If you want. Do you have any furniture?"

I sighed. I needed to get furniture. "Not yet."

"There's a shop in Diagon Alley. Get a bed, maybe a table; linens, pots and utensils, that's all you'll need at first. The rest can come as you go along." He gave me another broad grin. "Probably a bookshelf or two, if I know you at all."

I had to smile at that. "I think I will, if that's alright."

"All the same to me. You want a cuppa before you head out?"

I considered it for a moment. "Yes, please."

He led me downstairs and opened the door to his own flat. It was laid out much the same way mine was, but it was furnished, and there was a fireplace that dominated one side of the sitting room. It was very comfortably untidy, lived in, a lot like The Burrow was. I sat down at the kitchen table and he went to get a pot of tea ready.

"You know, I never really figured you for the type of wizard who'd live somewhere quiet like this," I told him. "I thought you'd be more into parties and going out and being wild."

"I did for the first year. Mam was good enough to tolerate it. Then I was just... Right done." He looked up at me and I nodded. "Been out here over two years, now." He came over and settled a cup of tea in front of me. "And I never figured you for the type of witch to have a one-off with Malfoy. What is it about Malfoys anyway?"

I laughed. "I don't know about Ginny, but I was drunk. Really, _really_ drunk." I widened my eyes for emphasis. "And I'm not really telling anyone yet, he wants to tell his father first."

"His da doesn't know? Is it terribly wrong of me to want to be there for that conversation?"

"You and me both." I sighed. "Then again, I still haven't told most of the people in my life." I gave him a pointed look.

"Waiting until you had somewhere else to go?" When I nodded, he did too. "I won't mention it when I see the lads."

"Thanks, Seamus. I'll probably tell them before you see them again, though; Molly's having a birthday party for me at The Burrow tomorrow. I managed to convince her to keep it small, though, just family."

He laughed. "I received notice last weekend that the party'd been canceled, so I don't think it was going to be as 'just family' as you thought. Happy birthday, by the way."

I rolled my eyes. "Thank you. I guess being pregnant is good for something." I absolutely hated being the center of attention like that. I'd thought Molly knew better than to throw me a huge surprise party, but apparently not. I had a sudden thought. "What about the noise?"

"From the... baby?" I nodded and he grinned. "I set this place up proper-like, you won't hear anything from Astoria or me and we won't hear anything from you, so long as your door and windows are closed. I'd tell you tt keep the noise down on the stairs if you're coming in late at night, but I don't think that's going to be a problem."

I shook my head. "I'm lucky if I'm awake past nine at night." Something he'd said stuck out to me. "You built the flats?"

"I did." He was proud, justifiably so. "Me da was a carpenter. Taught me everything he could before I went off to Hogwarts. That combined with some magic, and this is the sturdiest house in Britain."

I laughed at that. "It's beautiful, Seamus."

"Thanks. If you want to change the color of the walls or put in carpet for the baby, go ahead. Let me know and I can give you a hand." I nodded. "Astoria's right nice. Quiet-like, but friendly. Visitors are fine so long as they don't bother anyone else; if you're going to have anyone staying here for a time, just let me know. No flatmates, unless Malfoy says it's okay."

I nodded again. This all made a good amount of sense. "This is the first time I'm going to be living on my own," I admitted.

"Really?" His blue eyes widened in disbelief.

"After... After the war, I moved in with the Weasleys. It's nice there, but I am looking forward to the quiet, at least a little."

"Well, if you need anything, even just a bit of company, I'm just downstairs." He gave me one of his ready smiles. "Anything you want to ask?"

"If I think of anything, I'll let you know." I felt so relieved. One more thing I'd accomplished. My next task, however, was considerably more daunting. I had to tell Ron.

We finished our tea, and Seamus told me to let him know when I was back and he'd help get the furniture situated.

I went shopping first. I took a minute to sit and make a list of everything I needed and when I was done shopping, I shrunk everything down to a manageable level before tucking it away and flooing to The Burrow from the Leaky Cauldron.

Molly and Arthur weren't exactly happy. Both of them were worried about me living on my own, but I assured them that I would be fine. Molly insisted on feeding me a good lunch before I left. I'd done all of my packing through the week on the assumption that I'd be moving out, and all that was left after I ate was to give Molly and Arthur hugs and kisses and Apparate out to my new home. Molly was crying, and I couldn't help but feel a little guilty when I assured her that she'd see me tomorrow for the party, and that I'd still be over at least once a week for dinner. I teared up a little too, when she pulled me into one of her warm, enveloping hugs. Arthur made me promise to tell them if I needed anything.

To my surprise, Draco was at the flat when I Apparated back out there. He was talking to a pretty auburn-haired witch on the front porch, who he introduced as Astoria. They and Seamus all helped me get my flat in order which, quite honestly, felt a little strange. Astoria was kind, if somewhat quiet, although from the looks she was giving him, she fancied the Malfoy heir at least a little bit.

At one point, when Draco was helping me situate my new bed where I wanted it, I said, "Seamus knows."

The bed dropped the bed with a thump as he lowered his wand, looking a little put out.

I shook my head at the implied, unspoken question. "He guessed, since you're not charging me rent. You didn't happen to tell Lucius yet, did you?"

The way he scowled at the bed, refusing to look at me as he lifted his hand again was my answer.

I sighed. "I need to talk to your mum, Draco. This is actually really important."

"I'll take care of it," he told me, his tone clipped.

When we were finished, we sat around my new kitchen table for a while, drinking tea and water, and then we all went out to dinner together at the Three Broomsticks. The whole latter half of the day had been a little surreal, capped off by Draco's genuine concern when I said I had to get home to take my potion to keep from being sick. Astoria had worked out that I was pregnant, but she didn't ask who the father was and she didn't seem to care that no one volunteered the information.

It didn't take long for me to fall asleep in my new bed, Crookshanks curled up against my side.

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! kingstonavery- I think so too, I thought he would, especially since he didn't have the best upbringing from his father.**


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, Seamus showed up at my door with tea and breakfast and offered to help as an extra pair of hands when I went on my shopping to fill my kitchen with food. And when I cried at how nice he was being, he'd given me a sympathetic look and a handkerchief.

I went out to The Burrow just as soon as I got all of my shopping put away. It was raining and I rushed inside, wishing I'd thought to bring a coat.

There was a familiar, broad-shouldered redhead sitting at the table, reading the paper. "Charlie?" I hadn't been expecting him. Apparently when Molly had said, "Just family," she'd meant, "the entire family," although from what Seamus had said, I was lucky the entire population of wizarding Britain wasn't going to be there.

He turned when I came in, then got up from his chair and came and gave me a warm hug. "It's good to see you, Hermione. Happy birthday."

"Thank you."

When he released me, he stared rather pointedly at my abdomen. "I've heard congratulations are in order."

I made a wry face. "Thank you," I said again. "Who told you?"

"Mum. And she... suggested-"

I folded my arms tightly across my chest and narrowed my eyes at him. "Charles Weasley, if you ask me to marry you, I'm going to hex you all the way back to Romania."

He snickered. "I know better than that. I told Mum that you probably wouldn't take too kindly to unprovoked offers of matrimony."

I sighed and relaxed my shoulders. "Thank you for that."

"Doesn't mean she's not still going to try," he cautioned me. "You may not want to tell her who the father is until you absolutely have to."

I had a sudden image of Molly browbeating Draco and I had to laugh. "As funny as that would be, you're probably right." Although if I was going to ask her to help deliver the baby, that would likely be sooner rather than later.

He gave me an answering grin. "I hear you got a new place?"

I nodded, settling myself down at the table. He regained his former seat as well, although his attention was on me instead of his paper. "Up in County Durham. It's nice. Quiet."

I heard the floo and, after a moment, Ginny came through. She had an excited grin when she saw her older brother and flew at him in a hug, which he barely stood up in time to receive. "Where's Mum?" she asked him after they parted.

I looked around. It was a little strange that I hadn't seen the Weasley matriarch bustling around with party preparations yet, when I thought about it.

"She and Dad are out on some kind of secret mission," he answered. "Said there was something they had to pick up before the party."

I raised an eyebrow. That worried me a little.

Ginny turned to me. "Congratulations on the new flat! When do I get to see it?"

"You can stop by whenever you want." Of course she would know about it. Draco had said it was a family business, he'd probably let Lucius know.

"Brilliant. I'll get Lucius to bring me for a visit. Speaking of, he said to tell you happy birthday for him." The grin on her face told me that wasn't all he'd said.

"Let me guess, he had a few things to say about me living on my own?"

She laughed. "That's one way of putting it. I told him that you probably wouldn't appreciate a lecture about it, especially from him, so he took it out on Draco for agreeing to rent you the flat."

I had to smile at that myself. "Why is he so upset anyway?"

"You're one of my best friends, 'Mione, he cares about you." My eyebrow lifted again in disbelief. "He doesn't really know an appropriate way to show it, obviously. Apparently, though, Narcissa had a hard time with pregnancy, so he's worried."

That was the second time I'd heard that, and I frowned. I was going to have to talk to Narcissa. Chances were good that whatever issues she'd had would have been specific to her body and wouldn't pass down through Draco to affect her grandchild, but it was a worry, and I'd rather err on the side of caution. There were a lot of problems that had resulted from the amount of inbreeding that purebloods did.

A sudden laugh bubbled out before I could stop it. Draco Malfoy was having a half-blood. After all of the nonsense he'd said to me at school, he was having a half-blood child.

Charlie and Ginny were looking at me curiously. "You going to share?" Ginny prompted.

"Not just yet. I'll tell you later."

"Is that Hermione?" Harry's voice came from the living room. He came into the kitchen and swept me up into a big hug, lifting me up off the ground. He'd come into my office on Wednesday to wish me a happy birthday. We didn't see each other as often as we had before. First, Ginny and he had split up and he'd been around less to avoid running into her, and then Ron and I had split up and Ron spent most of his time with Harry to avoid being awkward around me.

"Careful!" Ginny snapped, and he put me down, then looked at her questioningly. They'd just started to be friendly towards each other again and he wasn't expecting her to take a tone like that with him.

"I'm fine," I reassured them both.

"Are you still getting sick?" he asked, frowning in concern. "Have you been to see a Healer yet?"

"I'm fine," I repeated.

"Hello Charlie, Ginny. Molly's not about?" he asked after a moment, peering around.

"Secret mission," Charlie told him. "Something for the party."

"Which, apparently, was going to be an event, despite the fact that she told me it was going to be just family," I told them.

Harry had the grace to look a little embarrassed. "Sorry for not telling you. But she canceled that, although I can't figure out why. Usually it takes a lot more to put her off something like that."

Ginny, Charlie, and I exchanged a look. We knew exactly why. "Harry, I'm-"

I was cut off by the door opening behind us. Molly stood there, looking a little flushed and not meeting my eyes. "Sorry, I didn't think we'd be so late." She came over and pulled me into a warm hug. "Happy birthday, dear. Have you eaten?"

I nodded, but I heard a voice down from upstairs, "I'm a bit peckish."

"You can wait," she called to her youngest son. To me, she said, "Don't worry, everything's almost ready. Out of the kitchen now, go on with you."

The four of us filed into the living room, just as the fireplace was lighting up with green flames. Sirius stepped through first, holding a gift, followed by Luna and Remus. The tall wizard wore a broad grin. "Happy birthday, Hermione."

At the sound of his warm baritone, Molly bustled in from the kitchen to drop a kiss on the top of Remus' head. She greeted them before retreating again, pulling Ginny along with her.

"How are you?" Sirius asked me, after he'd hugged me and then held me at arm's length, peering at me critically. "Are you still getting very sick?"

"Not anymore, thank you."

"I'm glad to hear it. Luna was able to stop taking the potion after a few months. She had the entire staff fussing over her, though, even the ghosts got in on it." He was grinning again. "The Grey Lady-"

"Helena, Sirius," Luna corrected him gently.

"Right, love." He didn't seem at all bothered by her interruption. "Helena Ravenclaw, she still likes to stop by and sing him to sleep."

Harry had listened to the entire exchange and realization flooded his face. He stared at me for a moment. "You're-"

"Yes," I answered quickly, forestalling the inevitable question. Ron was about somewhere and I didn't want him to find out like this.

"And it's not-"

"No," I replied, a little miserably.

"Oh, Hermione..." He pulled me to him again, a little more gently this time.

Fleur flooed through just then, and we were all in her way. We moved, giving her enough room to step out into the living room. Bill followed shortly behind her and gently set down his daughter, who pointed to Remus and said, "Baby!" She was quite fascinated by him.

"Everyone doesn't know yet?" Sirius asked, looking sheepish. "Sorry, Hermione."

"It's fine," I said with a sniff from the threatening tears, giving him a shaky smile that I hoped was reassuring.

As if summoned by my thoughts, Ron came down the stairs just then. He took us in- me with Harry's arm still around my shoulders and everyone clustered around us with looks of concern on their faces. "What's going on?" he asked.

I sighed. This was it. I stepped away from Harry and over to where Ron had stopped. "Can I talk to you for a minute upstairs?"

He turned around and I followed him up to Percy's old room. He paused when he noticed that all of my belongings were gone. "You moved out," he observed. "When?"

"Yesterday afternoon."

He frowned. "Why'd you do that?"

"I just thought it was for the best," I answered, folding my arms defensively across my chest.

"Look, I'm sorry I said those things to you. I just... Mum kept on at me about us and I was just getting so tired of hearing it."

That didn't make it any easier. "Thank you," I told him. "It's all right. I need to tell you something, though."

"What's that?" He seemed a little put off by the seriousness of my tone.

I looked away from him, staring intently at a small spot on the floor. "I'm... I'm pregnant, Ron."

Silence. I looked up at him to see his face split in a happy grin. "That's great, that's really great. We can get married in a week or two- whenever you want!" He went by me and stuck his head out the door.

"Ron!" I snapped, reaching out to grab his arm to try and pull him back in the room.

He spared me a glance. "It's fine. Everyone should know." He turned back and opened his mouth and I quickly cut him off.

"It's not yours!"

Dead silence. And judging by the silence downstairs, they'd heard me down there as well.

He turned back towards me, an unfriendly look in his eyes. "What do you mean?"

I reached past him and shut the door, and he stepped back to let me. "We always used the charm, didn't we? And then, right at the end, we hadn't had sex in..."

He folded his arms. "So, you wouldn't have my kids, but you went and spread your legs for someone else? I wasn't good enough for you?"

"It wasn't like that!" I protested. "I was hurt, Ron, you hurt me with what you said. I got drunk and forgot I hadn't used the charm that month." My tone was pleading, I was begging for him to understand.

"Whose is it?" he asked, so quietly I could barely hear him.

"I'm not... I can't tell you right now." There was no way that Ron finding out that the father of my baby was Draco Malfoy, would turn out well.

"WHOSE IS IT?" he thundered.

I was crying, tears streaming silently from my eyes. "You have no right to speak to me like that!" I opened the door and stormed past him, relying on memory to guide me to the stairs, because my vision was swimming with tears.

I quite unexpectedly bumped into something, which turned out to be Arthur's chest. "Where's Ron?" he asked me gently, his hands on my shoulders to steady me.

"Percy's room," I managed.

He patted me gently on the shoulder and passed me on to Molly, who'd come up the stairs just behind him. She wrapped her arm around me in a motherly fashion. "Come on, dear, come have a cup of tea."

"I'm sorry," I sobbed to her, letting her guide me down the stairs and to the kitchen table.

"He needed to know. It'll work out." She pressed me into a chair and set a steaming cup down in front of me. "Drink that, now." She sat down in another one of the chairs and stared intently at me until I had a drink. "There. You knew it wouldn't go well," she started gently.

I nodded miserably.

"He'll come around, dear. Quick to temper, quick to burn-out, it's a Prewett trait. Ginny and Harry are friends again, are they not?" At my nod, she reached across the table and patted my hand. "And so you will be too."

"You're disappointed."

She seemed a little surprised by my observation, and she nodded. "I am a little, yes. I'd always hoped to have you as an official part of the family some day. But if there's anything I've learned from being a mother, it's that you kids will do whatever you're going to do, and all we can do is love you."

My tears were renewed at the idea that she considered me as one of her children and I turned my hand to grip her fingers tightly.

Her own voice was a little thick when she said, "Nothing has turned out the way _I_ wanted it to with any of you, I'm not surprised anymore. But you're all happy. Bill's happy, Charlie is happy, Percy is happy, George is happy- and more successful than I'd ever dreamed. Harry is happy, he's seeing that Bell girl now, Ginny is happy with..." she trailed off and compressed her lips between her teeth for a moment. "And you'll be happy too, once you get used to this. And then the baby will be born..." She cleared her throat and pulled out a handkerchief to dab at her eyes. "Are you sure you won't consider marrying Charlie?" I started to laugh, I couldn't help it. "It's just going to be so difficult for you, and I don't want you to be hurt. He's moving to the Welsh Dragon Sanctuary, you know."

"I'm sure." I couldn't even be angry with her for it. "I couldn't do that to him."

"Very well." She didn't look happy with my decision, but I was.

"Molly..."

"Yes?" She looked at me, her brown eyes full of compassion.

"Would you... Would you deliver the baby?"

I watched the tears form in her eyes and she swiped at them with the handkerchief again before she spoke. "Of course I will."

I pulled out my wand and cast a quick _Muffliato_. Her expression turned questioning. "I need to tell you who the father is, and I know you're going to tell Arthur, but no one else can know right now; and I need you to promise me that you're not going to say anything to him." I studied her face for a moment. "Especially that you're not going to say anything to him."

"All right."

I took a deep breath. "Draco Malfoy."

"I-I beg your pardon?" She'd heard what I'd said, she just couldn't believe it. I couldn't blame her.

I nodded, wincing.

One hand pressed over her chest. "Goodness, I... That certainly complicates things."

I nodded vehemently. "Yes. And he hasn't told Lucius yet."

She stared at me for long moment, and I knew she was struggling to find something positive to say. "Well," she started faintly. "Your baby will officially be part of the family."

I nodded. Sirius had had the Black family tapestry updated, and I'd been to see it a few times. Even if Ginny and Lucius didn't get married, Narcissa and Arthur were cousins, which meant that the baby I was currently carrying would be a distant cousin to the Weasley family as well, just like Teddy was. "You wouldn't happen to know about why Narcissa had to see a Healer when she was pregnant with Draco, would you?" I know what the answer was before I asked, but I had to ask. Not knowing was making me crazy.

She shook her head. "I can ask Andromeda, though she was already married to Ted at that point." And disowned by the Black family for marrying a Muggle-born. "I'd owl Narcissa, but that would be a sure giveaway of... what the situation is, especially since she and Ginny talk frequently. Luna was fine, though, carrying Sirius' son."

I nodded. "I know it's very likely nothing to worry about, but that doesn't seem to stop the worrying." I canceled the spell with another wave of my wand and set it gently on the table in front of me to have another drink of my tea. "22 hasn't started out very well," I said after a moment.

She patted my hand again. "It'll get better."

It did get a little better, even that day. Ron left the house shortly after that and Arthur came down the stairs and gave me a sympathetic smile and a reassuring squeeze to my shoulders. Everyone else had arrived, though, and the party officially started. In addition to the cake and incredibly thoughtful gifts, there was a toast to me and the health of my unborn baby, with champagne for everyone else and pumpkin juice for me and Fleur. George, Angelina, Percy and Audrey were the only ones who didn't know yet. George let out a whoop when he found out and spun me around in a hug that threatened to make me sick, regardless of the potion. Percy frowned a little at the news that I wouldn't be getting married, but he offered me his heartfelt congratulations anyway, and repeated what everyone else had said, about letting him know if I needed anything.

We were all sitting around in the living room, and it was getting on time to start thinking about going home when Molly gave Arthur a significant look, and then he disappeared.

"Now, dear," she told me after he'd been gone for a few minutes, "I know you don't... have your own parents anymore. In wizarding families, it's traditional to pass along the cradle for the baby to your daughter. With such a large family, there is more sitting in the family vault than I'll ever be able to pass on to Ginny, so I want you to have this."

Arthur came back in carrying an exquisitely carved, dark wood cradle. It was absolutely beautiful, and I could already feel the tears filling my eyes. "I love it!" I sobbed. We got up and hugged each other, both of us crying.

The party finished fairly quickly after that. Molly had purposely set it for earlier in the day so that I would be able to go home and eat dinner, then take my potion and fall right into bed without having to worry about socializing when I was too tired to stay awake. Harry offered to come with me to carry the cradle. It had all manner of protective charms and enchantments that meant that it couldn't be shrunk or levitated, and it would have to be carried by hand.

I went through the round of farewell hugs and kisses, final birthday wishes and congratulations, and then I gathered up my gifts in a bundle, and Harry and I went outside to Apparate to my new home. It had stopped raining, I noticed, although the garden was soaked through.

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! Concrete63- That would be hilarious!**


	8. Chapter 8

We arrived just across the street from the house that contained my new flat. Harry was looking at it with a sense of familiarity. "Neville lived here for a while, I think. Seamus is the landlord?"

I nodded. "I was definitely surprised when I saw him here yesterday."

"It's good, though, at least you know you can trust him, right?"

I nodded again.

We crossed the street, with him awkwardly balancing the cradle in front of him. "We need to have a flat-warming party for you," he said after we went up the porch steps.

I shook my head. "I am all partied out, Harry. It'll be Molly's birthday soon enough, you can wait until then." That was the thing about being part of such a large family, it was always someone's birthday just around the corner. The only birthday-free month was June, as Lucius had apparently been born in January.

He chuckled. "All right."

I held the door open so he could wrestle the cradle through and up the stairs. It was apparently a very solid and hefty piece of furniture, and he was breathing heavily from exertion when he looked back at me from a few stairs up. "I forgot how many stairs there were in this place." He rested the cradle on one of the stairs above him. "Please tell me you're on the second floor."

"Yes."

"Good."

I peered up at him for a moment. "Is it really that heavy?" I'd been cautioned against carrying it, but if it was that hard for him to manage, maybe I could just help out.

"It's more that it's just awkward to maneuver, and I can't see past it to my feet." He wrestled it up the remaining stairs to the landing, and I quickly ascended behind him. I touched my wand to the door to unlock it and then held the door for him.

"Where do you want it?" he asked.

"You can just put it down out here."

He looked over at me, and there was a very resolute, almost scolding look on his face. "You're not supposed to be lifting heavy things, are you?"

He was right. "The room on the left, please." That was the master bedroom. From my own research and what both Luna and Fleur had told me, the baby would be spending the first little while sleeping in the same room as me, as it would make nursing easier.

Harry went down the short hall with it, having a much easier time carrying it across the even floor of my flat than he had coming up the stairs.

Crookshanks was winding himself between my legs, and I leaned over to scratch behind his ears. When he came back down the hall, Harry gave my part-Kneazle an affectionate smile. "That's it, then."

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" I offered.

"No. Thank you, but I should get going." He came over to me and pulled me against him in a warm embrace. "You know I'll always be here for you, right?"

I nodded against his shoulder, my heart sinking. I knew what was coming.

"I need to go and see Ron. He still loves you, and this is going to be quite hard for him. Owl me if you need anything, yeah?"

I nodded again. Just a moment after that, I was alone in my flat. Not quite alone. I sat down on the floor right where I was, and Crookshanks rubbed himself affectionately against my elbow and hand, urging me to pet him. I ran my fingers through his soft ginger fur, and I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. It was a little ridiculous. Logically, I knew that Harry wasn't choosing Ron over me. He'd spent the afternoon at my birthday party with me, and when I'd needed help, he'd quickly offered it.

My emotions, however, seemed determined to completely ignore logic, and pretty soon I was a sobbing mess on the floor, my face buried in Crookshanks' thick fur.

There was a rather imperious-sounding knock at the door. Startled, I sat up and took a moment to scrub the tears from my cheeks before rising and going to the door. Opening it revealed Lucius Malfoy, face as pleasantly neutral as ever. "Good evening, Hermione." His cold gray eyes studied my face, making me entirely too aware that my complexion was very likely blotchy, my eyes red and puffy from my outpouring of emotion.

"Hello." I looked up at him for a moment. "Come in." I moved aside and held the door open for him. Why was Lucius Malfoy at my door?

He stepped inside, peering around sharply. "My dear Ginevra suggested that young Mr Potter would have left you for the evening, and you may yet be in need of some comfort."

She wasn't really wrong on either count, I just wasn't exactly sure that Lucius was equipped to provide comfort. I wasn't really sure what to say to him, but he spoke again before I needed to figure it out. "Have you eaten?"

I shook my head, letting the door swing shut. We'd been snacking all afternoon, but I hadn't actually had a meal since lunchtime. "Not yet."

"Very good. I do so dislike eating alone." He rested his walking stick against the wall and swept through my flat to have a seat at my kitchen table. Ginny had stayed to have dinner with her family, she must have sent him a Patronus.

Somewhat bemused, I followed him. In just a moment, a house-elf popped into existence, put a full-laden plate down on either side of the table, and disappeared again. I stared at the space she'd occupied, then at the plate of food.

"I trust you have appropriate dining utensils." Just faintly mocking.

I did. I got some from the kitchen and set the table before having a seat in front of the steaming plate opposite my blond dinner companion.

It actually wasn't unpleasant. The food was tasty, and Lucius was not a terrible dining companion on his own. I'd eaten with both him and Ginny before, of course, but this was the first time that I'd really spent any time with him alone. Given, though, that I was going to be having his grandchild, it probably wasn't going to be the last.

It didn't stay that way, of course. "I must say that I was somewhat concerned when I learned that Draco had agreed to let you this flat, with you living on your own." And there it was.

"Why, exactly?" I had a general idea of why, but maybe this was an opportunity to get my answers about what had happened with Narcissa, because I was starting to suspect that Lucius and Narcissa would being showing up on the day that I gave birth, both completely surprised that the baby was related to them quite so closely.

"My dear, while I wish nothing but the utmost in health for you and your unborn child, there are a number of things that could occur that would require more _immediate_ attention than you would be able to provide yourself." He paused, looking at me as if to gauge my reaction. "There is also the distinct possibility that you go into labor in the early hours of the morning, and are unable to focus enough to produce a Patronus." That was, of course, what had happened to Luna. She had Sirius, though, and he'd apparently been quite prompt in letting everyone know what was going on. I'd hadn't been there for the birth, but he'd flooed me as soon as Remus had been born.

As much as I hated to admit it, he had a good point. Seamus was just down the stairs and I trusted him to get me whatever help I needed, but he was down a flight of stairs that I may or may not be up to mastering when I was having contractions. "And what do you think I should do?" I was pretty sure he already had a potential solution, and I was just as sure I already knew what it was.

"Get married." At my raised eyebrow, a small smile curled his lips.

"Of course." That had been exactly what I was expecting.

"I believe my son would be an adequate match for you. I understand that he's no longer seeing Pansy Parkinson."

"Adequate match?" I shook my head, my eyebrow lifting up. "Are you even listening to yourself? I would think that you, of all people, would understand why I might not want to jump into a state of wedded, well, bliss isn't exactly the right word." I was referring, of course, to his divorce.

"You could certainly do worse than Draco."

"Why would I consider Draco?" I gave him a guarded look. Did he know something?

"Draco is assuredly financially secure, and there are certain circles where the Malfoy name still commands respect." The measured look he gave me made it clear that he was talking about the circles that the 'Hermione Granger' name didn't command respect.

"I'm quite sure that your son wouldn't be interested in marrying me." I believe his exact words were, 'I don't want to marry you.'

He was watching me closely. Did he know something? He couldn't... Could he? "I'm quite _certain_ that between the two of us, we could convince him that it would be a good decision on his part."

"Why are you so determined to see me tied to him?"

"I would think that, given the circumstances of your birth, you would be entirely too aware of how prejudicial we can be." I refrained from asked him if by 'we' he meant wizarding society in general, or just pureblood bigots. I also held back from reminding him exactly how prejudicial he had been towards me. I deserved an award of some sort. Before I could come up with something suitable to say, though, he continued. "If I did not already have matrimonial plans, I would offer for you myself. My dear Ginevra informed me that one of her brothers has been apprised of the situation, that would not be a _terrible_ match."

I suppressed my sigh of relief- not just Draco, then. He didn't know. "Maybe. But I'm not about to tie someone else's life to mine for the next, what, eighteen years, just for the opinion of people I don't know and don't particularly care about."

"An admirable sentiment, my dear, but I don't think you quite understand how _difficult_ this will make things for you." When I lifted my chin defiantly, his eyebrow lifted again. "You always were rather 'strong-willed.'"

"Just one of the many reasons I don't want to marry anyone casually, Lucius. I'm not sure there are too many men in this world who would be able put up with such an insufferable know-it-all. Your son is definitely not one of those people."

His laughter startled me, I didn't hear it often. "That may be. Most of those I know still among the living who would qualify are currently being treated to Azkaban's legendary hospitality."

"And would jump at the chance to marry a Muggle-born who was carrying someone else's child, I'm sure."

"Quite." He was just as amused at the prospect as I was. "Was the young Mr Weasley equal to the task?" His tone indicated he clearly doubted it.

"Do you see Ron anywhere? I think that would answer your question." I shook my head. "Does this mean you're going to stop trying to entangle me in unwanted matrimony?"

"Perhaps." We ate in silence for long enough that I thought maybe he was going to drop the subject. I really should have known better. "If you're not going to be sensible enough to marry someone, at least have the good sense not to continue living on your own."

"I just moved in here. I like it here. It's nice, it's cozy, it's small enough to clean easily, it's safe. Not to mention that asking someone else to live with me when I'm having a baby in seven months doesn't seem very considerate. It's my understanding that babies are quite noisy and don't always respect a reasonable day-night cycle."

"Narcissa is well aware of the demands our children make on us."

"I don't know Narcissa well enough to impose on her like that."

He regarded me evenly for a moment. "I am quite certain that you're aware that I have a very large house entirely at my disposal- a house where one of your dear friends lives."

"It's true. But when you knocked on the door, I was in the middle of crying my eyes out because I was feeling sorry for myself for something that I really had no reason to feel sorry for myself about."

"It's my understanding that your former paramour was cruel to you; I should think that was a worthy reason for tears."

"That's not what I was crying about, though." I shook my head. I wasn't going to go into the details with him, he didn't need to know. "The point is, I'm still uneasy in your house at the best of times. I'm not exactly rational right now, and I understand that it's just going to get worse as time goes on."

"As you say," he said after watching me for another long moment. "However, there must be a suitable solution."

I let out a long sigh. "Why are you so hung up on this?"

"Pregnancy was very trying on Narcissa's body. She lost several children and she nearly lost Draco; if I had not been there with her at the time, I very likely would not have a son- and quite possibly not an ex-wife, either."

"Oh." Well, that answered that question. Not what the cause was, but why she had to see a Healer. It seemed like an indelicate time to press for more details, though. "I'm sorry."

"I wouldn't wish the experience on anyone, least of all you- someone my dear Ginvera cares for very deeply."

"Ginny won't let you coddle her, you know." I had to suppress a sudden smile at the thought of her reaction to him trying to do so.

His lifted eyebrow indicated he knew about my amusement. "I am aware, and I am certain that there will be a period of _adjustment_ when we do conceive a child. However, we have not, and you have." He rested his forearm on the edge of the table and leaned towards me. "We're not friends, Hermione, but I do care for you, and I believe that we could become so, given a reasonable chance." Ginny had told me that he had a habit of unabashed honesty with those he trusted- did this mean he trusted me?

I nodded. All things considered, it was good that he felt that way. "I do see the merit in what you're saying, but I'm not seeing a way to manage it right now. It's not so bad here; Seamus is just downstairs if I need anything. I trust him."

"Will you at least keep the idea in the forefront of your thoughts? I may not be able to spare you from the reproval that is certain to come, but I urge you to look to the well-being of yourself and your child."

I nodded. I wasn't sure what other avenues I had to look into, but I could certainly give it a try. After what he'd said about Narcissa, it would help me feel a little better, too. And Draco really needed to tell his parents so that I could have that discussion with her.

The rest of dinner proceeded companionably. Lucius told me that he would send his house-elf back for his dishes, and then he left with an unexpected kiss to my cheek and the firm direction to take care of myself.

It had actually been a fairly pleasant evening with him, I was a little surprised. I wrote out a note to Draco, impressing on him the importance of talking to Narcissa. I was a little worried that I would be too anxious to sleep, but between the hormones and the potion, thankfully it didn't take too long.

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! :D**

**Okay, so I had a lot of this written out, and then my muse took an abrupt right turn with the story, so I'm having to completely change a lot of things. Updates may be a little further apart than I'd like for a little while, but we'll get back on track!**


	9. Chapter 9

When Ginny invited me over for dinner next Saturday, I made the mistake of mentioning to her that I was getting together with Draco that day. That was the day we had decided to try and meet every week. And while I was pleased that he was showing such an interest in the baby now, I couldn't help but wonder if the interest would still be there in six months.

After expressing surprise at my follow-up statement that we were friends, Ginny shrugged and suggested that he could come as well, seeing as he was Lucius' son.

Which was how Draco ended up on the sofa in my flat, very pointedly refusing to meet my eyes. "Just one thing. I haven't exactly told my father, yet."

I stared at him for a moment. "Pansy's not exactly known for her ability to keep her mouth shut."

He shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't exactly tell her the entire reason I broke up with her, either."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "And your father's not going to get suspicious that we're spending time together?"

"We're dating?" he suggested.

"No. We're not. They're not stupid, and I'm not lying to them because you're not man enough to tell your father that you got me pregnant."

"You don't understand," he protested. "He's going to tell me I have to marry you. He's already suggested it to me, even now when he doesn't know."

That didn't surprise me, given what he had said to me. I lifted an eyebrow. "Have you ever been to a wedding? Typically- at least with all the weddings I've ever been to- the officiant requires some sort of affirmative statement from both the bride and the groom. Just because your father controls your life, doesn't mean he controls mine."

"He doesn't control my life!" he spluttered indignantly.

I sighed. "Draco, your father is living with the 20-year-old daughter of his arch-rival. Do you really think he's in a place to lecture you about relationships?"

"He'll tell me I should have been more responsible."

I rested my hand on my belly. "It's true. We both should have been. It's a little bit late for all of that, now. And didn't you tell me that both he and Narcissa would be just tickled to death about having a grandchild?" At his begrudging nod, I continued. "Telling him that we're dating would likely encourage him telling us both to marry each other. He's talked about it with me, too." I paused, looking down into his gray eyes. "It would look a little suspicious; I know you didn't break up with Pansy until just recently, and then you immediately started dating a pregnant witch?"

He shifted again, settling against the back of my sofa, and looked up at me where I was standing just a few steps away, looking down at him. "Why do you have to be right?"

"A finely developed sense of logic." Most of the time, at least. "You do need to tell him, though, Draco, I _need_ to know what happened while your mum was pregnant with you."

"Oh, that." He waved his hand like he was brushing aside my concern. "I talked to her; apparently you don't need to worry about that."

"You talked to her?" I echoed, one eyebrow raised in question.

"I mentioned that you being pregnant got me thinking about what would happen if I was to have a child with a witch, and whether or not I'd need to worry about any of the problems she had. She said that if the witch I was having a child with wasn't one of the 'closer' pureblood families, it wouldn't be a problem. Her pregnancy issues were a result of..." He shot me a look, daring me to finish the sentence. _Pureblood inbreeding._

I didn't take him up on it. Instead, I nodded. "That is a relief. Of course, you may as well have just told her that you _are_ worried about your own child. I'm sure she's going to figure it out."

He shrugged. "She didn't say anything to me about it. I'm fairly certain that if either one of my parents found out that I'd... impregnated a witch out of wedlock, I'd hear about it from both of them very shortly after that."

I sighed and took a seat on the sofa next to him. "I'm glad that you talked to her, thank you. But you still need to tell them. Lucius is going to go a bit spare if he finds out that he has a grandchild after the baby is born." And that was very likely an understatement.

"Are you ready to go?" He was clearly done talking about it. His raised eyebrow indicated that he didn't think I should be ready to go.

I looked down at what I was wearing. "No, I'll get changed. Just be a moment." I hadn't thought about it until he'd reminded me, but Lucius always insisted on dressing properly for dinner. Jeans did not fit in his definition of proper.

I went down the hall to my bedroom, and quickly pulled a dress out of my wardrobe. I wasn't going to wear robes. Draco was, of course, and no doubt his father would be, but he would just have to deal with my Muggle dress. Robes felt entirely too suffocating, and I had to wear them all day when I was at work.

A sudden thought occurred to me when I was getting dressed, and after taming my hair into some semblance of order, I went back out to my sitting room where Draco was drumming his fingers absently against his knee. "When did you talk to her?"

"I beg your pardon?" He seemed quite surprised at my question.

"When did you talk to Narcissa?"

"Monday. I thought you would just keep on at me every day until I did." The familiar smirk settled across his face.

"You talked to her on Monday and you didn't bother to let me know until now?" My anger made the smirk vanish. "Do you know how worried I've been about it? Your dad told me that she almost lost you, and maybe almost died herself."

He blanched, though whether it was from what I was saying or the tone I was using, I didn't know. It didn't really matter. He opened his mouth to say something, but I snatched up my handbag and stormed out of the room before he could formulate anything to say.

I was about halfway down the stairs when I heard my front door close and by the time I'd reached the porch, Draco had quite easily caught up to me. "Look, I'm..."

I moved quickly across the street to where I could Apparate and he caught my arm just before I did, taking both of us to the front gates of the Malfoy's rambling estate.

He didn't seem bothered by the abrupt change of location- he was just lucky I'd been expecting him to do that. He continued as though he hadn't been interrupted. "I'm sorry, all right? I didn't know it was as serious as all of that."

I wrenched my arm free of his grasp and glared up at him. "You didn't get any idea of how seriously I was taking it by either the frequency or urgency of my requests?"

"No, I just..." I saw him swallow, and then a look of temper came into his own eyes. "You need to calm down. If we go in there arguing like this, then they're going to know that something is going on."

"Good." From his expression, that was obviously not the way he wanted this to go. "I'm not the one who wants to keep this from them. I'd have told Lucius last weekend, but I was trying to respect your wishes."

"You saw my father last weekend?"

"Yes. I do, from time to time. I don't know if you've noticed, but he's actually involved in a pretty serious relationship with one of my closest friends."

He seemed completely at a loss of what to say when the ornate black gate swung open and I started the walk up the long drive to the front door of Malfoy Manor. Again, it didn't take very long for him to catch up to me with his longer legs. I ignored him, though, in favor of moving quickly up the drive.

A house-elf was holding the door open for us when we got there, and showed us to a sitting room where Lucius and Ginny were sitting together on a sofa. Lucius immediately stood when I entered the room, and crossed to me to kiss my cheek. It was less unexpected this time, but it still threw me off just a little bit.

Draco, too, by the looks of it. He seemed a little surprised that his father was so familiar with me. It was easy to ignore him, though, and move to give Ginny a hug instead.

"How are you feeling?" she asked me, holding me gently at arms' length.

"Better." Ron hadn't spoken to me since last weekend, but his silence was something I was used to. "And I found out some good news today, though it was a little overdue."

"Good." She grinned at me. "So, going to tell us who the father is, yet?"

I could feel the weight of Draco's eyes between my shoulderblades. "He hasn't told his family yet."

"Really?" Her eyebrows raised. "He's had two weeks, what is he waiting for?"

As irritated as I was with him, it took a considerable amount of effort for me not to turn around and ask the wizard in question exactly what he was waiting for. "I don't know. I'm starting to think he's deficient in certain parts of his anatomy."

A slow smile spread across her face. "You'd think you would have noticed something like that."

"I was pretty drunk, Gin, I don't remember a whole lot from that night."

Lucius cleared his throat, but he was wearing a small smile. "May I offer you a drink?"

"Water, please."

"Firewhiskey for me," Draco added, somewhat sourly. He certainly couldn't remark on my disparagement of his manhood without admitting to Lucius that it was _his_ manhood I was disparaging. The thought lifted my mood a little.

We sat and socialized for a little bit, and then it was time for dinner in the informal dining room. Draco offered me his arm for the walk there, and my temper had cooled enough that I took it and let him escort me. Lucius had offered Ginny his arm, of course, so his son could do no less. We went to the smaller, informal dining room, which I much preferred, especially with just the four of us.

Dinner passed pleasantly enough. Lucius, being Lucius Malfoy, had several things to say. "I must admit, I am quite surprised that the two of you are well-acquainted enough to have plans for a Saturday evening. Pleased, certainly, but quite surprised."

Draco froze like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming car. He stared at me pleadingly. "Yes," was as far as he got.

I took some pity on him. "I think it was a case of being in the same place at a fortuitous time." Although if his reaction wasn't enough to make Lucius suspicious, I was going to eat my new tablelinens. For a former Slytherin, Draco was doing incredibly poorly at subtlety.

He recovered quickly enough, though. "Seeing as we are both without a companion, we thought it would be pleasant to pass the evening together."

"And you've informed him of your _situation_?" the elder Malfoy asked me.

It took a lot more effort than it should have to keep myself from bursting into inappropriate laughter at the memory of exactly how that had gone. "Yes."

"Very good," Lucius murmured. I saw that look on his face, the look I had come to recognize meant that he was going to start managing things the way he did.

Ginny- thank Merlin for Ginny. She used the pause in the conversation to redirect it. "I have some good news- apparently I'm getting a promotion on Monday."

Draco offered her his congratulations. Lucius looked pleased; evidently this was something they'd already discussed. "Did Kingsley tell you what you're going to be doing?" I knew that this was happening, he'd told me that we would be having the meeting with her and Angelina first thing on Monday morning. I was to go to his office when I got in.

"Something about a Personnel Department. He gave me a book to look through." Her eyes fixed on me, and I could see the smile lurking behind her lips. "It reads a lot like some of the reports and research you've put together."

I nodded. "That's because I put it together. I'm sorry, I would have told you about it sooner, but Kingsley told me that it had to be kept in the strictest confidence until he was finished with all of the bureaucratic things he had to do to get this done properly."

"It's fine." She smiled reassuringly. "I'm excited. It'll be different, but I'm really looking forward to it."

"You'll be working with Angelina, too."

"Really?" She was quite happily surprised. Apparently she hadn't been told that part. "Well, she's certainly not going to take any... nonsense from anyone."

"That's what I thought."

"You put this whole thing together?" She laughed. "I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. This does seem very much like S.P.E.W. for the Ministry."

I could feel some heat in my face as I joined in her laughter. "I think I have a much better understanding of what I'm talking about this time, though."

"S.P.E.W.?" Draco put down his fork, his eyebrow arching as a smile crossed his lips. "Wasn't that the house-elf nonsense you were on about in fourth year?"

"Did you know that the house-elves refused to clean our dorm that entire year? Poor Dobby was doing all of it, and he kept the hats she made, piled up on top of his head."

This led to an explanation of S.P.E.W. and my rather misguided attempts on behalf of the house-elves, and we all finished up the evening laughing.

Draco insisted on seeing me home. "Have you forgiven me?" he asked when he quite presumptuously followed me inside my flat.

I went into the kitchen to take one of my potions. "I suppose I have." I sighed. "Doesn't do me much good to be angry with you. When are you going to tell them? Wouldn't it be better to get it done and over with?"

He came through to where I was and kissed my cheek. "I'll owl you about next Saturday." And then he was gone, completely avoiding answering the question.

**A/N: Thank you for the comments! j- He certainly is laying it on pretty thick, isn't he? CathyM- Thank you!**


	10. Chapter 10

I skipped the family dinner on Sunday night. I wanted to give Ron some more time before intruding into his space like that. Molly sent Harry over with a plate after dinner. She was very invested in making sure I was eating enough, which I both appreciated and didn't. There was more than enough on the plate to last me through lunch and dinner the following day as well, so I took some down to Seamus. He definitely appreciated it.

Monday morning found me in Kingsley's office again, where we were very shortly joined by Angelina and Ginny. He'd cleared some offices out for them on level one, and compiled a list of Ministry staff that could be relocated to their new department. They both had a lot of questions for me and healthy skepticism that the Ministry was ready for these kind of changes, but seemed pretty eager to take this on. Ginny, in particular, thought it was quite funny that Lucius had been in violation on basically the entire section on sexual harassment. When Kingsley expressed some concern about it, she just grinned and said that it all worked out for the best, and Lucius' days of sexually harassing his assistants were behind him.

This, of course, led to an increased workload for me. For the first little while, they still had quite a few questions, and I usually ended up in the new Department of Personnel at least once a day, in addition to my work in the D.M.L.E.

Which led to me falling asleep at my desk one day. Molly had suggested that I might be ready to stop taking the potion for the nausea, and it had eased but I still had bad days. That day was a bad day, so I'd taken the potion before I went into work that morning. As luck would have it, that day was also a day that saw me up and down between levels one and two twice before noon.

I'd just come back from lunch. The food was sitting heavily in my stomach and the office was warm- it had started to be a little chilly outside in the fall air and the Magical Maintenance Department had overcompensated by making the interior of the underground building just a bit too warm. My eyes were closing despite my best attempts to keep them open, so finally I slumped down at my desk, intending to rest my eyes for a just minute or two. The next thing I knew, someone was touching my shoulder and telling me to wake up.

"I'm awake," I insisted, my eyes snapping open as I sat straight up. I blinked rapidly at the papers on my desk to focus my tired eyes, then looked up to see who had woken me.

"Are you alright?" It was Kingsley looming over me, though as soon as I sat up, he went around and settled himself in the chair on the opposite side of my desk. He looked like he was caught between sympathy and amusement- I guess I couldn't really blame him. I was known for being incredibly hard-working and now I'd just fallen asleep at my desk.

"I didn't take my potion last night, so I took it this morning, and it always makes me-" I abruptly cut myself off. I was babbling. "I'm fine. Just tired, today."

"Do you need to take the rest of the day off?" There was genuine concern on his face, which of course made tears spring into my eyes.

I shook my head, impatiently swiping away the tears with my hand. I really hoped Kingsley would just ignore them, I'd already embarrassed myself enough by falling asleep at my desk. "I'm fine. Thank you. Molly keeps telling me I'm going to be full of energy any day now." I sighed, shaking my head again. "That day can't come soon enough."

Thankfully, he ignored the tears, instead chuckling again at my words. "I don't mind if you need to take some time to yourself, I just think that you would be more comfortable at home in your own bed, than hunched over your desk like that."

I peered at him for a moment. "Why are you down here, anyway? I mean, not to sound rude or anything, but I wouldn't think that coming down here to wake me up is on your schedule."

He sat back in the chair, folding his arms across his purple-robed chest. "I told Miss Williams to inform me if anything like this happened."

Miss Williams- Penny, my assistant. "What made you think something like this would happen?"

"I still talk to Luna fairly frequently, though not as much as I used to." Luna. She'd fallen asleep in the middle of teaching a class when she was pregnant with Remus. She and Kingsley had become quite good friends while she was still working here.

"And Penny felt comfortable going to you with that?" I had to smile. The Department of Personnel was already having the desired effect, and it had only been operating for a few weeks. "That's excellent."

"Quite. I've had some complaints, of course, but those were inevitable." His grim smile told me exactly what kind of complaints he'd had.

That didn't really surprise me either, we'd talked about this exact thing. "It's always hard when you suddenly lose the ability to take advantage of people you feel you should have free access to."

"Watching Angelina put them in their places is certainly a sight to behold. If I wasn't convinced that she was the right choice to head the department before, I certainly am now."

I had to laugh at that. I'd witnessed her doing that exact thing when we were in school together. "Yes, she's quite formidable when she wants to be."

"Overall, I think the new department is a success- it's going even better than I thought it would, at such an early juncture."

I nodded. I picked up the paper cup that had held coffee and shook it, only slightly disappointed to realize it was empty. If it wasn't empty, it would be cold. I wasn't usually a fan of coffee anyway, but it was even less wonderful when it was cold. I dropped the cup in the bin- my effort to keep myself awake obviously hadn't worked anyway. "I think I need some tea. Would you like some tea?"

"Please. Are you going to send Miss Williams?"

I shook my head, standing up and stretching. Sleeping hunched over like that had left a bit of a cramp in my lower back. "No. I think the walk will help wake me up."

He rose as well, standing aside to let me pass him and open the door. He followed me out, falling in step beside me as we walked down the long corridor to the lifts. "How have you been? It's been some time since we've had a chance to chat." That was certainly true; I had been busy with my work and the Department of Personnel, and he was terminally busy as the Minister of Magic. While we weren't anywhere as close as Luna and he were, I did still consider him a friend.

"Feeling better, for the most part." I gave a wry smile. "Except when I fall asleep on my desk."

"I trust no one has said anything inappropriate to you while you're here?"

"No. But I'm not really doing anything worthy of comment on."

He was silent for a moment as we came to a stop in front of the gold lifts. "If anyone does say anything to you while you're here at the Ministry, come to me directly." I opened my mouth to say something, but he held up a hand to cut me off. "I know we have a department and a process for that now, but I would appreciate if you came to me, first."

"All right," I agreed. "What do you think is going to happen?"

"I understand that unwed mothers aren't looked on the same way in the Muggle world as they are in ours anymore, but you may be quite... shocked, to hear the extent of the vitriol against it."

"I don't know about that, Kingsley. I've been a Muggle-born ever since I became a part of this world." Which, of course, carried it's own set of prejudices. If I hadn't been on the run across the English countryside, I would have been summoned before Dolores Umbridge and had my wand forcibly taken away from me.

He sighed heavily, pursing his lips. "Yes. And while I'll never have first-hand knowledge of what that's like, I've seen enough to know that it's been difficult, to say the least."

"Still is sometimes," I replied, stepping onto the lifts.

"I know." He stepped in beside me, and the ornate doors glided shut as the lift started its journey down toward the atrium. "If you wouldn't want to hex me for even thinking it, I'd be tempted to propose to you."

"What, propose marriage?" I looked over at him, and there was a very knowing smile on his face. "Speaking of sexual harassment..."

He chuckled. "It would benefit both of us, I suspect. You would gain a name for your child, and no one is going to say anything untoward to the Minister's wife. I, of course, would gain a brilliant partner that would give me considerable social and political advantage. I don't really have the time available for dating right now." He looked down to meet my eyes, and I could still see the amusement in the dark depths. "Alas, I know better."

I sighed. If there was one person I would even think about taking up on that offer, it would be Kingsley. He wouldn't make an offer like that lightly. But, I still couldn't do that to him. And he hadn't really offered. "I appreciate the thought." What else was there to say?

We traveled the rest of the way down to the cafeteria, and we both got a cup of tea. "Why don't you take the afternoon off?" he suggested as we made our way back towards the lifts, each of us with a paper cup in our hands.

"I can't do that. I think Angelina might commit murder if I wasn't here." She didn't have a lot of patience for people abusing positions of power. When I was called up to her office, it was usually to provide her with a level-headed perspective. "And I think I'm getting a little behind on my own work." My unscheduled nap had not only taken up my entire lunch hour, but some amount of time before and after, as well.

"I'm certain we could manage for one afternoon without you. It might do her some good to not have you there to rely on for a few hours."

I shook my head. We'd stopped in front of the lifts again to wait for one to take us back up. "I appreciate the offer, Kingsley, but I don't think I can. If I went home, I'd spend the afternoon pacing around my flat and thinking of all the work I needed to be doing. I'm better off here." I paused as we stepped onto the lift that opened just then. "I promise not to fall asleep at my desk again."

"If I didn't think you were right, I would insist that you take the afternoon off." He looked down at me for a long moment. "Just remember, Hermione, if you do need to take some time for any reason, all you have to do is let me know."

"Thank you. I appreciate it. Who knows, I might even take you up on that at some point. But for now, at least, I need to be here."

I got off at level two. Kingsley stayed on the lift, apparently going back up to his own office. I wasn't really surprised, I knew he couldn't take too much time away from his own work for the same reason I couldn't- except that he was even busier than I was.

I went back to my office. Penny was waiting for me. "There's another memo for you from Miss Johnson," she told me with a certain amount of sympathy.

I took the proffered purple paper, already unfolded, and scanned it briefly. "I'll be up on one," I told her before sighing and turning to go back to the lifts, tea clutched gratefully in my hand.

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! :D CathyM- I'm not including it in this story, but I have a lot of things floating around in my head from this 'verse that I'm hoping to get posted, and I will try to make that one of them!**

**After having another snit, I think my muse and I are finally on the same page with this. Fingers crossed.**


	11. Chapter 11

It got easier. Angelina stopped needing to rely on me for every little thing. And my energy did come back, for the most part. The nausea went away- I started getting heartburn instead, but that was easy enough to deal with. I was starting to feel human again. Maybe a little too human. My body was craving things that there was no one around to help me with- which was a little frustrating, to say the least.

Ron did start speaking to me again, concurrent with him starting to date again. It made going back to The Burrow a lot more comfortable.

Christmas, though, was held at Sirius and Luna's home. Arthur had a hard line of not allowing Lucius into his house, and they still wanted to see Ginny, so the compromise was made. And, with both of his parents in the same place for Christmas, Draco was invited over for the day as well. That promised to be a little awkward. He and Harry had made their peace shortly after the conclusion of the war. Ronald, on the other hand, was exceptionally good at holding a grudge.

We were still getting together on Saturday each week, which surprised me a little when I actually took the time to think about it. I never would have thought that he would have lasted this long, but he had. He really enjoyed feeling the baby kick, which had only happened quite recently.

Which meant that, bright and early Christmas morning, I woke up to hear him moving around my flat. He'd long since adopted the habit of letting himself in like he owned the place- which, I supposed he did.

I took a quick shower and got dressed, and emerged to find him wrapping gifts with my leftover wrapping paper, sitting in the middle of my sitting room floor. I folded my arms on top of my belly, and stared at him with an eyebrow. I was finally getting to the point of starting to look like I was actually pregnant instead of just like I'd been enjoying too many biscuits with every meal.

He glanced up to see me, not at all bothered by my expression. "I'm almost done here, and then we should probably get going."

"Oh, just help yourself," I told him sarcastically, walking over to settle down on my sofa.

"Well, I am. Obviously." He smirked at me before turning his attention back to what he was doing. "Thank you," he added after a moment.

I wasn't surprised to see that he had done quite a neat job of it. "House-elves didn't wrap your gifts when you were younger?"

"'If you're going to do something, Draco, for Merlin's sake you'd better do it well.'" Lucius came through quite clearly in his voice, and I was struck once more by how strongly he resembled his father. "Do you want to eat before we go?"

I shook my head. "The second I get there, I know Molly is going to start stuffing me with food." I knew for a fact that she was planning to floo over there before the sun was up to start getting all of the food ready for the day. None of the actual occupants of the house seemed to mind too much; Narcissa and Sirius had spent most of their lives with house-elves and were quite daunted at the idea of cooking for so many people, and Luna seemed quite content to surrender her kitchen to the Weasley matriarch.

I stood up and settled my dress around me. I didn't like the way the hem was pulled up in the front, but there was really no help for it. "I need you to be nice to Ron today."

He stood as well, smirking again. "That's a tall order."

I folded my arms and narrowed my eyes at him. "Draco..."

"Relax," he told me, coming over to kiss my cheek, his arm wrapping loosely around my waist. "I'll be nice if he will."

That wasn't exactly what I'd been looking for, but it was going to have to do. "Where did I put my wand?"

He glanced around the flat, and then walked over to pick it up off the kitchen counter. "You know, if you'd put everything back in the same place every night, you wouldn't have this problem." Was _he_ actually lecturing _me_ on organization?

"Normally I don't have this problem. _Your_ child is absorbing all of my brain cells, I swear."

He laughed. "Where are your gifts, Hermione?"

"Handbag."

"Which is..."

It was my turn to look around my flat. I spotted the enchanted, beaded handbag exactly where I'd left it. "Over with my cloak."

He handed me my wand as he came back into the sitting room. "Get your shoes on, I'll get the gifts."

"I can carry my own handbag, you know," I informed him archly as I walked over and stepped into my shoes, getting my cloak and settling it around my shoulders.

"I know, but I want to put mine in there, too." In just another moment, he was standing beside me at the door, his own cloak on and his hand closed over my handbag. "Ready to go? Be careful on the steps outside, it's a bit icy this morning."

The stairs were a bit narrow, but as soon as we were out the front door, he took my hand and tucked it into the crook of his elbow. The sun was up, which meant it was fairly cold. Seamus kept the path and the end of the street clear of snow, but I could see a fresh layer of frost on the pavement. Draco deliberately went slowly as we walked across the street to Apparate.

"I'm not crippled, you know," I complained. And then, of course, my foot slipped on the slick surface of the frosty road. I stumbled a bit before righting myself.

After a glance over to make sure I was alright, he was smirking again.

"Not a word," I instructed him fiercely.

"I wouldn't dream of it." His tone said enough.

I Apparated us to the front step of 12 Grimmauld Place. I'd had a lot of practice doing this very thing. I sighed, hesitating before opening the door. "I don't suppose you've enlightened your parents as to why you've been spending so much time in my company yet, have you?" His silence and averted eyes answered my question. I wasn't even angry about it anymore. "Molly and Arthur know."

His gray eyes flew back to mine, looking a little put out. "You told them?"

"I told Molly. She's going to be delivering the baby, after all. Being married, they tend not to have too many secrets between them."

He lifted his hand to knock on the door, but I reached past him and just opened it. He lifted his eyebrow at me. "One of my best friends lives here, I'd get told off if I knocked."

Molly bustled up to us from the kitchen. "Happy Christmas," she greeted us with a beaming smile. I was pulled into a motherly hug, an affectionate kiss pressed on my cheek, and then- quite to his surprise- Draco was given the same treatment, and he let her pull his face down into motherly kissing range. "There are some Danishes and tea in the kitchen, come in and eat. Coffee too, if you'd rather. The tree is in the front room, dear, if you want to stop and put your things under there," she told my rather bemused companion before heading back down to the kitchen before either one of us really had a chance to say anything.

'Dear?' Draco mouthed to me, and I nodded, unable to stop myself from grinning a little smugly. He'd probably never been 'dear' in his life. "Does she do that to my father?" he asked when she was out of earshot, as he was reaching over to help me with my cloak.

"Yes." Arthur was still very stiff around the elder Malfoy, but after it became clear that Ginny and Lucius were serious about each other, Molly did her best to quite enthusiastically welcome him into the family. She was afraid of losing any more of her children, even if it was just the same way she'd lost Percy for a while, and that tempered her reaction to things that she normally would not have been so understanding of. Like Draco, and his father.

He looked quite smug as he made his way to the front room to deposit our gifts under the tree. I went down to the kitchen.

Luna was sitting at the table, trying vainly to nurse a very distracted Remus. He pushed away from his endlessly patient mother to look up at me with his wide gray eyes, and she seemed to cede the victory to him. "Happy Christmas, Hermione," she greeted me brightly. She observed my concern. "He'll eat when he gets hungry. He's very stubborn."

"Family trait," Sirius said, coming in behind me. He turned me towards him and kissed my cheek before stepping away to look at me. "I'd hoped that naming him after the patient one would have tempered him somewhat, but it doesn't seem to have worked out that way. Happy Christmas. You look radiant."

"Thank you. Are we the first ones here?"

"We?" he echoed.

Draco came into the doorway just then, eyebrow raised in what was not _quite_ a challenge.

"Ah, we." Sirius looked a question at me that I pretended not to understand. "If you weren't the first one here, I would worry that something was wrong." I did have a habit of arriving early to everything.

I smiled as I went and sat down next to Luna. Molly put a plate in front of me, and a cup of tea. There was a literal pile of fresh Danishes in the middle of the table, and I helped myself to one. "Are Fleur and Bill going to be here?"

"For a while, at least. Fleur is..." Molly compressed her lips between her teeth for a moment. "She gets tired easily." Fleur was due presently, and while she and Molly got along most of the time, her patience was all-but-gone lately.

Draco brushed past Sirius and lowered himself to sit on my other side. I smacked his invading hand, but he pulled a piece off of my Danish anyway and popped it in his mouth while I glared at him.

"Never get between a pregnant woman and her food," Sirius cautioned him, making me swing my glare over to him. Undaunted, he winked at me.

"Craving sweets, are you?" Molly asked. "Must be a girl."

"Do you want to find out?" Luna's question pulled my attention back to her.

"Yes," I answered immediately. "I was considering going and seeing a Muggle doctor to get an ultrasound done, but then I'd have to find the time to do it."

Draco was giving me a significant look, but I ignored him. We'd never really talked about finding out what the sex of the baby was, and I quite honestly didn't care about his opinion. Knowing meant that I could better prepare.

Luna rose from her seat and handed Remus to his father, then pulled out her wand and came over to stand behind me.

"Do I need to stand up?"

"No." She waved her wand over me, then went and regained her seat.

"Well?" Draco prompted, causing me to bring my heel down on his toes. He poorly hid his wince with a cough.

"Oh. You're having a girl. Just the one, too, which is probably a good thing." She took her own Danish and used her wand to levitate a cup of a tea over.

A girl. Now I knew and I wasn't quite sure how to react. I'd seen Victoire's room, that dripped with so much pink and lace it was like an Easter egg had exploded in there. I wasn't that into pink. "I don't really like pink," was the first thing that came out of my mouth.

Molly chuckled. "So don't get anything pink," she said.

"Right." Simple as that, right? I looked over at the father of my child, who had a distinctly smug look on his face, causing me to nudge him with my foot, a little more gently this time. For someone who still wasn't comfortable telling his parents that he was the father, he was doing an exceptionally poor job of being subtle about it.

"What are you going to do in April?" she asked me.

"What do you mean?"

"For when you go into labor. It's not uncommon to have your mother come and stay with you when you think you're getting close to delivering. And I know you don't have a floo in that flat of yours."

Oh. As much as I loved Molly, and I really did, I wasn't sure how much managing I'd be able to take. My patience was already stretched pretty thin at times, and that was without being stuck in the same enclosed space with someone who had very strong opinions about certain things for days on end. "I'm not entirely sure."

"I can make myself available if you need me."

"Thank you," I said politely. "I'll keep that in mind." That was really the only response I could come up with for that. "I'm not really sure that will be necessary, though. I can just send a Patronus."

"I'd feel a lot better if you had someone with you, dear. Babies can come very quickly sometimes, and you might not be in a state of mind to send a Patronus or even go downstairs to use the floo. Three hours for Percy, from start to finish." She turned back to look at me, and her glance included the tall blond man who was currently using my plate to hold his own Danish. "What about her father, would he be willing to do that?"

Draco started choking, and I passed him my cup of tea and a pointed look. "I'm not sure that would be a good idea."

"Surely the two of you are getting along." There was an underlying note of accusation, and her look seemed to focus on Draco for just a moment.

"Yes, but he really tries my patience sometimes." To my credit, I didn't look at him.

"I really must agree, I believe it would be best if you had someone with you." Lucius' elegant drawl came from the doorway. He and Ginny must have flooed in, because I hadn't heard the front door. "Of course, I still don't agree with your insistence on living on your own right now."

Molly bustled over to them and greeted her daughter and the blond aristocrat in the same way she'd greeted Draco and I, causing Draco to smirk openly at his father.

I pushed away from the table and stood up. "I'm going to get some air," I informed everyone, forcing my tone into some semblance of politeness. Everyone moved out of the doorway, and I went past them and out to the back garden.

And immediately cursed myself for not thinking to grab my cloak first. It was absolutely freezing outside. It was cloudy here, and it looked like it might sleet soon. I huddled in the middle of the brown grass, my arms clasped tightly around myself. Maybe I could just go back into the library. But that was where the floo was, and there were bound to be more arrivals soon. Given how cold it was outside, everyone was likely to floo in.

The door opened and shut behind me, and in a moment someone was pressing a cloak around my shoulders. "Bit chilly to be outside without your cloak, isn't it?" It was Sirius.

"Thank you." I pulled the cloak closely about me and looked up at him as he came to stand beside me.

"Am I correct in my assumption that the as-yet-undisclosed father of your child is, in fact, my cousin?"

I sighed. "For a former Slytherin, he's not doing very well at being subtle about it."

"And you came in together quite early this morning. Not even James could get me out of bed that early to go somewhere with him."

"What about Lily?"

"Maybe Lily." He was grinning at me. "But she had a temper."

"I certainly don't know anyone else like that."

He chuckled. "You know they're just worried for you, right? And Molly is... Molly. You should have heard the things she was telling Luna when she was worried that my intentions were less-than-honorable. And Malfoy is..."

"Used to running everything."

"Right. Part of me doesn't blame his son for not breaking the news just yet. It's not like Draco is exactly known for his ability to stand up to his father."

I nodded, then sighed again. "I could work out something with Seamus, so that even if I couldn't send a Patronus or get downstairs, he'd be able to send word to Molly."

"I'm sure you could. But then, of course, you'd probably have Molly and Malfoy on your doorstep every day, making sure that you were still alright." He peered at me. "Are you quite certain Malfoy doesn't know that this is his granddaughter?"

"As far as I know." Although I had my doubts. "But Narcissa apparently had a hard time staying pregnant and he's quite paranoid about it."

"Ah, yes. I heard about that. I can only imagine the row that's going to take place when he succeeds in getting poor Ginny in the family way."

"Poor Ginny? Poor Lucius."

He chuckled again. "I think you might be right."

I shifted my weight around and closed the cloak tightly around me. It was getting hard to stand up in the same place for longer periods of time. Low blood pressure. "What am I going to do?"

"I imagine that all depends on whether or not you want peace and quiet. I feel compelled to let you know that you are, of course, welcome to stay here if that's the route you choose to take." He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me against him for a moment. "Although, I suspect you already know that."

"I do. Thank you." A cold, wet drop hit my forehead. "I suppose we should go back inside."

We turned and headed toward the door. "Arthur's here now, so it won't be so bad." Arthur's presence had the side effect of making Lucius less outspoken, and subduing Molly's tendency to be a little overbearing.

To my surprise, Draco mostly behaved himself around Ron, although I had my suspicions that it had something to do with both of his parents being there. Ron, for his part, ignored Draco. It could have been worse.

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! Concrete63- I'm sure he'll have to at some point, right? :D Chester99- My headcanon is that her parents are still in Australia and she was unable to restore their memories. Molly can be a bit overbearing. I never got my energy back with my youngest, but I think that had a lot to do with the fact that my oldest was 15 months old when he was born and adamantly refused to sleep through the night. ;)**


	12. Chapter 12

One week later saw me back at the London townhouse for New Year's. The press of people made it a little easier for me to avoid lectures from both Molly and the elder Malfoy, and I was enjoying myself. Harry was there with Katie, of course, and Ron brought Parvati Patil which somewhat shocked everyone. Seamus was invited, and Astoria, and practically everyone. Sirius remarked that next year might do better at the Leaky Cauldron, to which Neville laughed and Hannah agreed good-naturedly, as long as she had help with it.

Of course, 'everyone' knew that I was pregnant at this point, though Draco still hadn't told his parents that he was the other half of contributing DNA. Some of his friends were there, though, and they didn't even look at me strangely for not being married. I was beginning to wonder if all of the warnings about what 'everyone' would say weren't perhaps a little bit of worried overreaction.

The crush downstairs was, to tell the truth, a little much for me, so after spending some time making my way around and saying hello to everyone I knew, I spent a good portion of the evening tucked away in the upstairs sitting room with Kingsley, Luna, Neville, and Hannah. Luna, Neville, Hannah, and I weren't particularly big on large crowds of people, and Kingsley said that he wanted to take a break from people asking him about work, which happened nearly non-stop even when he wasn't there.

At some point later on in the evening, Sirius came and pulled Luna out for what was undoubtedly some intimate time in their room. Luna had told me, in her too-frank way, that taking care of Remus and their teaching schedules made it difficult to have as much sex as they'd like when they were at Hogwarts, so they were intent on taking advantage of every opportunity presented on their holiday.

Shortly after that, Neville and Hannah went back downstairs to get fresh drinks. I was dozing off on the couch, and not being particularly good company.

"You're not going to last until midnight are you?" Kingsley asked from his seat across the room.

I shook my head, not bothering to open my eyes. "I'm comfortable here." Even talking was an effort. "I suspect someone will find me in the morning and make me eat breakfast before sending me home."

"Why don't I get you home now?" I could hear the amusement in his voice.

"I can't make you leave the party."

"I offered, didn't I? I'll just get you down to the library and you can floo home."

Seeing as he was actually here, Seamus had told Astoria and me that he was going to leave his flat open so that we could floo home when it was time. I couldn't actually get too drunk to Apparate, but with how tired I was feeling, I definitely appreciated it.

"I don't need help."

"I can see that." He sounded amused. I heard the chair shift as he stood up, and then he was taking my hands in his and gently pulling me up.

I groaned, opening my eyes. "It's got to be almost midnight, I can make it."

"Somehow, I doubt that. There's an hour left to go." He released me and gestured to the open door. "Shall we?"

I walked out the door and down the hall, pausing for just a moment at the top of the stairs. "Why are there so many stairs?"

He chuckled and offered me his arm. "It's London."

I took his arm and let him help me downstairs to the library. We flooed through to Seamus' flat, and he guided me up to my door. "Goodnight, Hermione."

"Happy New Year." He waited until I was inside my flat with the door closed before retreating back down the stairs.

I went to my room and changed into a nightgown before I laid down in my bed, but the short trip home and all of those stairs had woken me up a little. I stared up at the ceiling. I couldn't very well go back to the party now- not that I really wanted to.

After a few minutes, I propped myself up on my pillows and pulled out a book. Crookshanks hopped up onto the bed and settled himself down against my hip. I could read until I went to sleep.

I didn't get very far through the words in front of me when I heard the door open. I frowned at Crookshanks, who lifted his head for a moment before reassuming his sleeping position. He wasn't concerned, which meant that it was probably Draco.

And it was. Draco appeared in my doorway, looking a little bit put out. "Can I help you?" I asked after looking up at him for a moment while he remained entirely silent.

"I don't think I approve of you going off with Shacklebolt while you're carrying my daughter." He folded his arms and stared down at me.

I stared back for a moment, and then I started laughing. I laughed so hard that I disturbed my cat, who gave me a dirty look before retreating to the floor to groom himself with dignity. "I hardly went off with Kingsley, Draco. I was falling asleep and he made sure I got here safely. There were a lot of stairs to navigate when I could barely keep my eyes open."

"You don't seem to be having any problem staying awake now." He sounded very accusatory.

"The walk woke me up." I turned my attention back to my book. "It's not really your business if I go off with anyone, though, is it?"

"Of course it is!"

I put my book down on my lap, narrowing my eyes as I looked up at him. "Why? Did I become your property when I wasn't paying attention?"

"You're carrying my child!"

"Oh, well, then you may as well just write your name across my forehead. Make sure you use permanent ink, though, or perhaps you should just urinate on me."

He stared down at me for a moment, his gray eyes angry. "Why are you being like this?"

"Why am _I_ being like this? You're the one who came over here and accused me of sleeping with one of my friends. Just because I was stupid enough to get drunk and fall into bed with you, doesn't mean I'm going to sleep with everyone who tells me I have nice legs." I paused, thinking about what I'd just said. "And even if I did, it's not like you have any sort of claim on me. You're not even taking care of-" I cut myself off abruptly. There was no way I was telling him about the raging libido all of these hormones left me with.

"He told you you have nice legs? Isn't that a little inappropriate for your boss?"

"He didn't, not that it's any of your business." I folded my arms, glaring up at him undaunted. He was being so unreasonable!

He studied me for a moment, and something in his voice changed. "I'm not taking care of what?" he asked, all of the anger gone from his voice, leaving him speaking to me in a very familiar husky tone that may have starred in some of my very frustrating dreams. No one had warned me about the excruciatingly vivid sex dreams.

"Nothing. Shouldn't you get back to the party?" My fingers were twisting in my duvet cover. It was suddenly warm in my room, very warm, and I could almost feel the weight of his eyes on me.

He made no move to do so, instead he started unbuttoning his well-tailored black suit jacket. "Not taking care of what?" he repeated.

"Have you been drinking?"

"Of course. It's New Year's." The jacket came off and was laid across the foot of my bed, quickly followed by his waistcoat, and then he started on his shirt.

"You can't do that," I protested weakly, unable to take my eyes off of the growing amount of bared skin as he opened the white buttons.

"I haven't been with anyone since September. I imagine it's been longer for you." The shirt joined the other articles of clothing, and then he came over to sit on the bed beside me. His hands came up on the pillow behind me, one on each side, and he leaned into me. His breath smelled like Firewhiskey, I knew that Sirius had rather expensive taste in drink. "Not taking care of what?"

Being that close to his exposed chest and shoulders made even the half-hearted protests I'd been offering die away. My hands lifted up and slid over his shoulders, pulling him down toward me. Our lips met and his tongue moved expertly against mine, and I was completely lost.

This wasn't the sloppy, drunken sex that I half-remembered that had resulted in me carrying our daughter. He wasn't drunk, not really, and I was completely sober and my skin felt like it was on fire. His long fingers expertly danced over my body like I was a piano, and he did something with his tongue that had me seeing stars.

I ended up on top of him, my head thrown back and his hands on my breasts. He told me I was beautiful, and when I collapsed onto my pillow beside him, he wrapped his arm securely around me, his hand protectively splayed across my belly.

* * *

Waking up in the morning and seeing the blond head on the pillow beside me drove home the fact that this wasn't just another one of my incredibly vivid dreams. "Draco," I said softly, after a trip to the loo and a half a cup of fortifying tea.

"Hmm?" He lifted his head and peered up at me for a moment. He seemed to be searching for something to say. "Well, at least you can't get pregnant this time." He rolled onto his back and locked his fingers behind his bed, looking up at me from his bed like it was exactly where he was supposed to be.

I leaned against the doorframe and stared at him. During our quite energetic romp, his clothes had migrated from the end of the bed to the floor, and seemed to be mocking me, just a little. "That's true, I suppose. Do you want some breakfast?"

"Does the smell of eggs still make you sick?" At my nod, he shook my head. "Then no. Thank you. I'll get something on the way home. And I know you don't have coffee." He was smirking a little.

I rolled my eyes. "About last night, we probably shouldn't..." As fulfilling as the previous night had been for my frustrated hormones, this morning my rational mind was reminding me why this was just such a bad idea.

"No. We shouldn't." Despite my having been the one who said it first, it still hurt a little, like the father of my child was rejecting me. He slipped out of bed and stood up, stretching. I couldn't help but look appreciatively at all of those lean muscles, and his smirk turned into a knowing chuckle. "What was that you were saying?"

"We shouldn't," I repeated firmly. "Doesn't mean I can't look, though. I thought Luna was exaggerating when she was talking about how... _interested_ the hormones made her." I could feel the heat in my face.

The chuckle turned into a whole-hearted laugh. "You do have nice legs, you know. I'm sure we could arrange something mutually beneficial."

"No." My hormones were saying yes. I shook my head and stooped to pick up his shirt, tossing it directly at his chest. "That would be such a bad idea. I'm not cut out for casual flings. And I saw how you and Astoria were flirting with each other last night." The last word choked out as the ever-present tears came into my eyes. That was one thing that hadn't really stopped as I got further along.

He slipped on the shirt and came over to where I was, pulling me into his arms. "Do you need to talk about this?"

"No," I replied. "I _know_ that it's just as bad of an idea now as it was a few months ago. I just... It doesn't feel like it."

He held me and didn't say anything else, and that seemed to help. When I was finished with the ridiculous tears, he set me away from him a little. "I have to say, I'm a little glad that it's you dealing with all of these hormones and not me."

He was purposely trying to get a rise out of me to lift my mood, and I had to smile. "You're not so bad, you know."

"How generous." I watched him pull the rest of his clothes on. "You're right, you know. It's none of my business if you're spreading your legs for the Minister of Magic." I swatted his arm and he smirked at me again. "I was just drinking and... Well, you were right."

"Of course I was right."

He leaned down to kiss my cheek. "I know you're getting the short end of the stick here, but it's not easy for me, either." His hands came out to rest on my belly. "I mean, we did this. And you look absolutely beautiful carrying my baby. I'm used to being able to go out and have a witch when the mood strikes me-" I swatted him again and he laughed. "I feel guilty now even looking at other women, though." He looked uncomfortable, but I suspected that it was more that we were actually having the conversation rather than the subject matter.

"Trust me, Draco, I don't care if you go out and find someone to have sex with. Well, I'd be jealous, but only because you were having sex and I'm... Frustrated."

"I'll keep that in mind."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I don't want to hear about it, though. But now it's January, and you're still here, and that's more than I ever expected."

"We did this, and I'm determined to see it though." I suspected it had something to do with proving to himself that he could finish something he started, but I kept it to myself. "I'll owl you." He let himself out.

I went back into my kitchen to sit down heavily at my table. Crookshanks hopped onto the table beside me and rubbed his face against my hand. It hurt. There was no way around it, it hurt. It hurt that Draco could just waltz in, spend the night doing, well, exactly what my frustrated hormones wanted him to, and then breeze out in the morning like it hadn't meant anything. It hadn't meant anything, to either one of us, but trying to think about it logically didn't make it hurt any less.

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews, fantastic reviewers, and even just reading it to those of you who don't get that far! Concrete63- Yikes! :( Avalon-Mist- He's definitely all up in her grill about it! :D**


	13. Chapter 13

As it turned out, no one was worriedly overreacting to what would happen when it got around that I was pregnant and had no intention of getting married.

It was starting to get a little warmer, especially down in London, and I decided to get out and do a bit of shopping in Diagon Alley. I could visit with some friends and get some more things for the baby. I had pretty much everything I thought I'd need, but I wanted to start her out with a good library. I had a lot of the books I'd grown up with, but I wanted to get some of the wizarding children's books, and a new copy of the Tales of Beedle the Bard, just for her.

And I was starting to outgrow some of my maternity clothes.

I did most of my shopping in Hogsmeade, just because the Malfoys owned half of it, but it was still a little chilly there, and I wanted to get some warmer sunshine.

I pulled on my cloak and got my handbag, and headed downstairs and across the street. I Apparated to the alley just outside the Leaky Cauldron, and went in to see Hannah.

"Hermione!" She came over to me and pulled out a chair at a nearby table. "Look at you! How long do you have left?"

It was mid-March. "A month, give or take a couple of weeks." I settled down at the table. "Too long."

She grinned down at me. "What can I get for you today?"

"Just some tea, please. Unless you have any kind of fruit pies." I didn't know if it had anything to do with being pregnant with a girl, but I still wanted sweets all the time. Then again, Luna'd been hung up on chocolate biscuits, and she'd ended up having a boy.

"I'll see what I can find." She disappeared behind the bar and came out in just a few minutes with a steaming cup of tea and a plate with a small pie with red filling of some sort. "How's this?"

"Perfect, thank you."

The inn was quiet at this time of morning, too early for lunch and too late for most people's breakfast, so Hannah sat down with me. "I have some exciting news." Her brown eyes were shining and she was wearing a big grin.

"What's that?"

"Neville is leaving the Aurors in the fall."

I took a drink of my tea. From her expression, there was more to the story than just that. "Why's that?"

"Professor Sprout decided this was going to be her last year, and Professor McGonagall asked him to take the Herbology position. We got an owl last weekend."

My eyes widened. "That's wonderful!" I'd always privately thought that Neville would be happier doing something with his beloved plants than he was in the Ministry doing anything. "Are you going with him?"

She shook her head. "He's going to be flooing here when he's done with his day. I probably won't see him any less than I do now."

I nodded. I knew exactly what she was talking about. Even when they were still training, there had been days where I had seen Ron for maybe half an hour each day. "That's wonderful! Tell him congratulations for me." I felt the roiling movement in my belly that meant that the baby was performing her gymnastics.

Hannah caught the motion and looked down at my protruding, non-existent waistline. "Does that happen a lot?"

I nodded. "I think she's getting an early start on Quidditch tryouts."

"Her dad's big on Quidditch?" she asked, mostly teasing.

I smiled and shook my head. Some of my friends who weren't close enough to be considered family made a game out of trying to get me to tell them who the father was- or at least giving up hints. Draco, unsurprisingly, _still_ hadn't told his parents, and I didn't want them finding out by rumor or the salacious gossip piece that would no doubt take a starring role in the Daily Prophet.

"Are you going to take off work soon?"

"You know, Kingsley keeps asking me the same thing." I wasn't _really_ complaining. Not really. I had up to 52 weeks of paid maternity leave waiting for me, but something told me that I was going to want to spend as much as I could of that after the baby came. And being at work helped the time go by faster. I was starting to get a little uncomfortable again, and keeping busy helped keep my mind off of everything.

"It's not..." She stared at me for a moment. "He's not the father, is he?" I narrowed my eyes at her. "Don't look at me like that, you two seemed pretty friendly at New Year's."

"It's not Kingsley. Besides, I don't even know if he played Quidditch at Hogwarts or not."

"So the father _is_ into Quidditch!" Her brown eyes were gleaming with excitement at what I'd just admitted to her.

I felt it was a fairly safe admission. I didn't have enough fingers- or toes- to count the number of boys who had played Quidditch throughout my entire time at Hogwarts. And even with that number, that would assume that I hadn't done what Luna and Ginny had, and spent some intimate time with someone who was older than I was. I didn't want this to land on Kingsley at all. He had enough going on without ridiculous rumors about affairs with Ministry employees. I nodded, just a little bit.

"It's not Krum, is it?"

I shook my head, smiling just a little. We still sent letters once or twice a year, but I hadn't really talked to him in quite some time. "No."

I was saved for potential future guesses by someone else coming in from upstairs and sitting down at a table, and Hannah went away to assist them.

After I'd finished, I got up and went over to where she was. "Thank you for the tea and company, Hannah. I should get some shopping done before someone decides it's time to eat again." I paid her for my tea and left the inn.

On my way out the door, I heard something that sounded suspiciously like, "Mudblood whore." I looked up at the wizard I had just passed, but he wasn't even looking at me. I narrowed my eyes, peering about.

"Everything alright?" Hannah called to me.

I nodded and continued on my way out the door. I was a little shaken up, but I kept telling myself that maybe I'd just imagined it. My first stop was the bookshop, Flourish and Blotts. It had been my very favorite shop since I'd first come to Diagon Alley over ten years ago. Things hadn't really changed in that time. It still smelled incredible, like magic and books. I pulled my shopping basket out of my handbag and wandered among the shelves.

By the time I'd filled my basket, I was ready to get off of my feet. It wasn't warm enough for ice cream, but I knew that if I stopped in to visit George, he'd have somewhere for me to sit down for a few minutes.

Coming to the counter, though, was a distinctly different experience than it had been in times past. Instead of the customary friendly smile from the manager, new within the past year or two, I received a suspicious scowl. The unfriendly eyes settled pointedly on my bare left hand and the scowl grew. Nothing was said until he told me my total, and then snatched my money up off the counter and glared at me. I was definitely not imagining things. After all of the time and money I'd spent here over the years, I was being treated like... Like this?

My temper flared. I whirled on him and left the shop, my basket clutched tightly to me and on the way out, I realized that he'd overcharged me. This was absolutely ridiculous. Angry tears sprang into my eyes, and I bit my tongue and fled the shop before I did something that could wind up with one of the Aurors coming to have a friendly talk with me.

People were staring at me the way Luna said they stared at her. I hadn't really noticed anyone's attention when I went out before, but now it seemed to stand out glaringly. Not everyone was looking at me, though, and the expressions from those who were ran the gamut from disapproving to curious to merely sympathetic. Unlike Luna, however, I was unable to completely ignore it.

I hadn't made it that far down the street when an unfamiliar witch pulled her not-quite-school-aged daughter close against her and crossed the street away from me. "I'm sure _you'll_ never disgrace yourself and your family in public like _that_." I could still hear her, she obviously wanted me to. "Muggle-born, of course. You wouldn't see any of _our_ kind doing that."

Tears flooded my eyes. I trudged the rest of the way to the bright orange shop that George owned and pushed my way in.

"Hermione? What happened?" He came over to me in a watery blur of magenta.

"Can I sit down somewhere?"

"Of course." He led me through the shop and up the stairs to the flat above. He pressed me into his green sofa and hovered, not seeming to know quite what to do.

"George?" Angelina appeared from one of the bedrooms. She caught sight of me. "Go back downstairs, I've got this." She came and sat down on the other end of the sofa. "Most of the Weasley men have absolutely no idea what to do with tears."

It was true, and so absurd in this situation that I had to laugh. "Arthur's learned."

"Molly's had over thirty years to train him." She looked at me sympathetically. "What happened?"

"Everyone is so horrible."

She didn't comment on my hyperbole, which I appreciated. "Because of the child out of wedlock thing?" At my nod, she grimaced. "There was some absolute rubbish in the Daily Prophet not too long ago about you. You didn't see it, did you?"

I shook my head, looking around the room as though I was expecting to see a copy of it there.

"Good. You don't want to. It's the usual misogynist shit against you daring to go against the patriarchy." She rolled her eyes. "They're so stuck in the past in some ways, it's really just ridiculous." Her father was a Muggle, a very forward-thinking Muggle, especially compared to a large part of wizarding society. "There was even suggestion that Krum is the father."

I stared at her askance before I started laughing. I was so tired of crying, and the very idea was just so preposterous. "You're joking." Then again, Hannah had asked me about him; apparently it hadn't come out of nowhere.

"I'm not. They're saying that's why you're not getting married, because he's a big Quidditch star and he's refusing to tie himself to someone from his past." She was smiling too. "And after he made a statement about how whoever the father was, was a very lucky wizard, along with some not-so-thinly veiled threats against the people who were spreading lies about such an upstanding citizen of the wizarding world, there was suggestion that it was someone from Azkaban."

I was going to have to send Viktor a letter to thank him. A prisoner from Azkaban? That was just about the only thing that was more ridiculous than Viktor. I no longer felt like crying, just shaking my head and rolling my eyes. "It's all just so..."

She nodded, a knowing look on her face. "It is. So stop even thinking about it. If they don't want someone with an Order of Merlin shopping here, take your business somewhere else."

The Order of Merlin, Second Class. I made a face at the mention of it. It was currently tucked away in my drawer, under knickers that no longer fit. She had a good point, though. I was never treated like that in Hogsmeade. Which probably had something to do with the fact that the Malfoys owned a good portion of Hogsmeade. "I guess."

"You're going to have her in just another month. There's only so long they can talk about this. Next year, there's going to be another Victory Ball, and everyone's going to remember how instrumental you were in the whole downfall of Voldemort. They'll mention of your Order of Merlin, like they do every year, and then certain shop owners are going to realize that you're not shopping there anymore- and probably be pretty sorry that influential members of society just don't care that you're not married to your daughter's father." I noticed she hadn't mentioned this year's Victory Ball, but depending on when I had the baby, I might not even be going. Even if I was, it would still be too fresh in everyone's minds.

It all made sense. If I refused to shop somewhere because of poor treatment, Harry would do the same. The Weasleys likely would, the Malfoys certainly would, the Blacks... Old names still carried a lot of weight with the general populace. Which begged the slightly bitter question, "Why didn't I think of that?"

"You would have." Angelina nodded. "Eventually."

I stuck my tongue out at her, something I hadn't done in years. I was so absent-minded lately, which amused everyone around me to no end. "Thank you." I meant it. She hadn't coddled me and lamented at the unfairness of the world, she'd just made me feel better with logic and good sense.

"You're welcome." She patted my knee and stood up. "Now I'd better go let George know that he doesn't need to call the whole family down here to pick a fight with someone." She was only half-joking. When Ginny had revealed to her family that she'd been seeing Lucius and Ron had said something a little insensitive, all of her other brothers- and Sirius and Angelina, for that matter- had been ready to take it up with him physically. They seemed to extend the same sort of protectiveness towards me.

"If he hasn't already," I agreed.

She smiled at me and pushed her way out of the door to go downstairs into the shop.

I sat on the green sofa, and methodically transferred all of the newly purchased books, as well as the basket, back into my handbag. It was starting to get a little worn, I would have to make a new one soon. A little more practical this time- half of the beads had come off while we were moving about the countryside.

I needed to get home. I slid off of the sofa, and went back downstairs. George still looked a little worried, but he waved as I went back outside to Apparate home.

I was really starting to hate the stairs. The flat, though, I loved the flat. The baby's room was pretty much put together, including a half-full bookshelf that Seamus had made, that I loaded some of my new purchases into.

When I saw Draco that afternoon, I told him what had happened. He'd looked very displeased at my account of the events, and he agreed with what Angelina had said. Flourish and Blotts was the best-known bookshop in wizarding Britain, but if they were going to treat me like that, then perhaps it was time for that to change.

**A/N: Wow, so many reviews! Thank you! *heart***


	14. Chapter 14

In the end, I gave Molly an enchanted coin, the same sort of thing I'd done for the D.A. back in school. It didn't make her- or Lucius- exactly happy, but it did mean that when late March came around, no one was 'just dropping by' every day. It turned out, though, that it was entirely unnecessary.

April 14 was a Sunday. I got up and spent the morning pacing around my flat and cleaning the back of all of the cupboards I could reach until it was late enough in the day to head over to The Burrow.

Arthur met me in the garden. He was on his way to or from his garage, and he came over and pulled me into a warm hug. "You look lovely today," he said.

"I feel like a cow." I didn't mean to snap, but my back was hurting and I'd been having insistent cramps all morning. I just felt achy and restless and out-of-sorts.

He looked at me for a moment before taking my arm and drawing me gently into the house. "Molly," he called as he got me a glass of water.

She came into the kitchen. "Yes?" She caught sight of me lowering myself into a chair. "Oh, hello, dear."

I didn't see whatever motions he made behind me at the sink, but as Arthur was setting the glass of water down in front of me, Molly came over and rested her hand gently on my belly. "How are you feeling?"

"My back hurts, and I've had these cramps all day now." And I sounded cross.

She stayed like that, she seemed to be waiting for something. "There we are. Well, dear, I think it's that time." She was moving about the kitchen again. "Who can we have stay here? Draco, of course. Can you send him a Patronus?" She directed the last part to Arthur, who went back outside.

"You don't mean right now, do you?" That idea terrified me.

She watched me for another moment. "No, not for some time, I should think. Probably not until after dinner. Tomorrow is Monday, isn't it?" She seemed to be more thinking aloud than she was actually talking to me. "Narcissa, I'll floo her and see if she can come for dinner and stay. Lucius and Ginny are out of town until this evening, I'll have Arthur send them a Patronus as well." She looked down at me sharply. "Has he told them, yet?"

I shook my head, my hand going to my belly as the cramps intensified for a moment. "No."

"Well, I suppose they're going to find out soon enough, whether or not he wants them to." She smiled down at me in a kindly fashion. "Have a drink, dear, and then get up and join Arthur outside until Draco gets here. Walking helps." She smiled faintly. "Well, sex helps too, if you want to borrow a bedroom."

"No." I shook my head vehemently. "I'm not... No."

She laughed as I sipped at my water. "Are you hungry?" She held out her hand and helped me out of my chair.

"Not at all." In fact, I felt a little nauseated.

"Alright. Let me know if you want something to eat. Go on outside, now."

Arthur had finished sending Draco his message by the time I got back outside. He offered me his arm and I took it, and we started moving through the garden. "I'm glad it's nice out today, there's much more room to walk out here."

There was a loud crack and Draco appeared, looking just a little green. He came right over to us. "What- What do I need to do?"

"Walk with Hermione, and if you upset her, you and I are going to have words." Arthur's voice was the same mild tone it usually was, but there was no mistaking his sincerity. "You'll be staying here for dinner tonight, and if you have anyone you need to talk to about missing work tomorrow, I would suggest you do that now." He offered a kind smile and clapped Draco on the shoulder. "Relax, son, you'll be having your own daughter soon."

He went back into the house. After a moment, Draco offered me his arm and we walked, headed out of the garden and into the orchard. "How are you?" he asked, seeming uncertain of what to say.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "How do I look? My back hurts and I have all these cramps. Molly said that she probably won't be here until after dinner. Narcissa's probably going to be coming over, but apparently Ginny and Lucius are out of town?"

"Yes, Father said something about that. I should floo Seamus, I suppose, and let him know I'll be unavailable tomorrow."

We walked until my sciatic nerves decided it was time to stop, and then Draco Apparated us the short distance back to the house and helped me back inside.

Narcissa was there, perched elegantly in the living room. Draco ushered me over to the sofa, where I lowered myself down, but didn't do anything other than greet his mother.

I looked between the two of them. "Oh, for fuck's sake. Narcissa, she's Draco's daughter."

One eyebrow arched, and she gave me a small smile. "I see." She didn't sound even remotely surprised. Draco was giving me a look of censure mixed with shock. "Do calm down, Draco, you're likely to hear a lot worse before the night is through."

The house quickly filled up with family members. No one really appeared that surprised when it came out that I was having Draco's baby. There was some discussion about who would stay for the duration, and it was decided that in addition to Narcissa, Draco, Arthur, and Molly; Harry and Katie would stay. And probably Lucius and Ginny when they got in.

I tried to sit down with everyone for dinner, but I was just too restless, and soon I was up and moving around again. Narcissa took me out to walk around the garden. Her calm presence was actually surprisingly reassuring, to the point that I became angry with Draco for not having told her months ago. It was especially easy to be angry with Draco just then, this was all his fault.

"How long have you known?" I asked her as we meandered about.

"Since Draco asked me if whoever carried his children was going to have to worry about the same sorts of problems that I had. I am a little annoyed that I was prevented from being involved earlier."

"I was-" I stopped, turning and clutching the fence as my belly tightened with a contraction. "I was trying to respect his right to tell you himself."

She stepped up behind me, and her thumbs rubbed circles in my back, right where it hurt. "I understand where the majority of the blame lies. I've always wanted a daughter, you know; I'm quite pleased that my first grandchild is a granddaughter, regardless of whether or not you marry my son."

"I won't," I told her firmly.

"I know."

"Why didn't you say anything about it?" I remembered his insistence that his parents would have said something to him if they'd known. Apparently he'd been wrong.

"I heard how well you reacted to the idea of you and my son getting married. You wouldn't have taken anything I said about it well." She paused for a moment, and when she spoke again, I heard the amusement in her voice. "I am well-acquainted with what can happen when one doesn't marry for love." I straightened and took her arm again before she continued. "And I know that things quite often don't end up as amicably as they have between Lucius and me. I don't wish that on anyone. I would prefer that Draco marries _happily_ than out of obligation- but I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish the two of you would have really, truly searched to see if there was a way that you could marry happily."

"I don't think so. He was afraid to tell you and Lucius about the baby since he found out in September. I need someone who's not afraid to stand up to me, and not just because he's afraid of being scolded by his parents."

She looked amused. "I see. I will say no more on the subject."

My walks around the garden were kept brief by my sciatic nerves, and soon enough I would end up back in the living room with Draco hovering nervously about me. Narcissa showed him where on my back to rub, and that helped. The night air still held a little bit of a chill, but I was extremely warm, almost uncomfortably so, and the third time Draco fussed at me about getting a cloak, the sharp words I gave him prompted Harry to take over, at least temporarily.

Everyone stayed as long as they could justify staying after dinner, but eventually the house started to empty, just a little bit. Ron had moved in with Harry shortly after he realized that prospective girlfriends didn't really appreciate the fact that he was still living with his parents, and he was among the first to leave.

When Molly announced that it was time to move upstairs for the 'real' labor, Draco carried me upstairs to what had been Fred and George's room, and then retreated back downstairs, looking distinctly green again. Narcissa and Molly came up with me, and we were joined very shortly by an apologetic Ginny. Apparently Arthur had agreed to allow Lucius in the house for the evening, which was good.

The contractions made me silent, retreating into myself to concentrate on just getting through them. When it was time to start pushing, though, I got a little loud; when she crowned I was screaming and swearing at the top of my lungs, gripping Ginny's hand like I was trying to break it. She and Narcissa were helping me kneel on the bed, I'd refused the offer of the bath.

And then Molly placed my baby in my arms and I was crying and nothing else mattered. She and Narcissa quickly got me all cleaned up as Ginny helped me sit back against the mountain of pillows at the head of the bed, and then she sat by the head of the bed, smiling, with tears in her own eyes.

My tiny daughter was squalling at her sudden expulsion into the cold world, and Narcissa helped me get her situated to nurse as I sat, propped up against the pillows. She quieted as she latched on, grunting until she settled down into silence.

"Oh, sweet Circe, she's a Malfoy." Ginny looked up from my swaddled, nursing baby to smile at me again. "I mean, I know she's a Malfoy, but she _really_ looks like a Malfoy."

"You knew?"

"Honestly, Hermione, I don't think there's anyone in the family who didn't know. Draco hasn't exactly been circumspect. Lucius has been going on and on lately about his granddaughter, and then he looks at me and gets that, 'I know you come from a family of breeders,' look in his eye."

I heard Molly laughing from the other side of the room and I had to grin, too. "So that makes you a gran by association," I told her.

"An actual gran, we made it official today." She looked at her watch absently. "Yesterday."

"Ginny!" I exclaimed, staring at her. I was echoed by her mother.

"Oh!" Her eyes widened. "Right. I was going to tell you as soon as we got back, but then you decided to go and have a baby..." She trailed off and pasted a smile on her face. "Lucius and I eloped yesterday. That's where we were."

Molly came over with the look on her face that said that her daughter was going to get an earful later, and Narcissa just looked faintly amused. Something told me that she had known exactly where her ex-husband and his new wife were. The three of them had a very unique relationship that I didn't entirely understand.

"Have you decided on a name?" Molly asked.

"Amelia Ginevra Granger."

"Really?" Ginny's eyes were full of fresh tears and she leaned over to hug me as best she could without disturbing little Amelia, who had apparently fallen asleep nursing. I returned the hug warmly, my own eyes a little misty.

"Congratulations, Hermione," Narcissa told me sincerely. She leaned over from my other side and gave me a kiss on my forehead, looking tenderly down at her granddaughter. "She does look a lot like Draco did when he was born."

"And Lucius," Ginny agreed. I looked a question at her, and she shrugged. "In addition to the looks, I've seen a lot of pictures of Malfoys in nappies." She grinned. "Very adorable."

Molly left, saying something about getting the rest of the family.

I couldn't stop staring at Amelia. She was perfect. I didn't know first-hand how much she resembled either of the Malfoy men at birth, but she had a head full of hair and bright blue eyes that were currently closed. Apparently she'd had a rough day, too.

In short order, both of the men in question came into the room. Draco seemed somewhat stunned by the presence of his daughter. He only took his eyes off of her for long enough to lean over and give me a light kiss. I could certainly understand the feeling.

"Do you want to hold her?" I offered.

Silently, he held out his arms, and I gently transferred her into them.

Lucius stood just beside him and looked at her for a moment, then came over and stooped to kiss my cheek. "She's beautiful," he told me. "She's a lovely addition to the family."

"Even though she's a half-blood?" I couldn't stop myself from asking the question.

"If you'd asked me that a few years ago, my answer would have been quite different. I've come to realize, however, that all of the wizards that I've truly looked up to in my life, regardless of the circumstances, have been half-bloods," he told me quietly, his eyes locked with mine. "Narcissa and I very much want to be involved in her life, Hermione."

My eyes were filling with tears again. Luna had warned me that the hormones would make me weepy, but this was getting a bit much. "I'd love for her to have grandparents," I said quietly. "Even if her step-gran is younger than I am!" The tears turned into a laugh and I brushed at my eyes. "Congratulations, to both of you."

"Thank you. She makes me happy." They shared a smile.

In short order, the room was quite crowded as the entire family moved in and out, congratulating Draco and I and admiring Amelia. Molly had apparently called everyone back; even Luna came in from Hogwarts; Sirius had stayed in with little Remus, and apparently they'd visit us on the weekend. I remembered doing this when Victoire, Remus, and then Dominique had been born, but it was entirely different to be the one lying tiredly in bed, receiving all of the congratulatory hugs and kisses.

Bill said Fleur would visit me at home later as well, and made a comment about how Amelia and Dominique would be in the same year at Hogwarts.

I just laid there, beaming and occasionally crying, and after a while, my long day caught up to me and my eyes started closing entirely against my will.

Everyone was quickly shooed out of the room. Arthur brought in the cradle that they had for when they watched Bill and Fleur's girls, and Narcissa laid Amelia gently down to sleep. She and Lucius and Ginny said they would come by to visit me when we got home, and then they left. Draco laid down beside me and held me, and we fell asleep together.

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! :D I really enjoyed writing Angelina, I think she'll be getting some one-shots of her very own. kingstonavery- This chapter (and the next one) should clear it up a little better, but the short answer is no. ;)  
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**So Draco's parents finally know. To be fair, they've known almost as long as he has, and he still didn't have to tell them. Hah! **


	15. Chapter 15

I was woken up by Amelia's tiny cries. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, and leaned down to lift her gently out of the cradle and settle her in to nurse. Draco brushed his hand across my back where my nightshirt had lifted up to expose my skin.

There was a brief knock at the door, and Molly came in. "Morning," she greeted us with a smile. She didn't appear at all bothered by the presence of the blond man lying in the bed behind me, or all of the skin I was showing with my nightshirt pushed out of the way. Then again, she'd seen a lot more of me just the previous night. I couldn't bring myself to be concerned about my modesty in front of her, either. "Are you alright, there?"

I couldn't help the grimace. "She's gnawing a little."

Molly helped me reposition her so that she was situated properly to nurse. "Better?"

"Thank you." There was definitely a right way and a wrong way to do this. I'd read up on it, of course, but as with many things in life, there was a marked difference between reading about it and actually doing it. Luckily, Amelia had been born with a good instinct of what she was supposed to do.

Molly ran through a list of what I could expect as my body got used to not housing another human being again, and assured me that the pain potions I could take for the lingering soreness wouldn't affect my milk. "Here's one now if you need it." She handed me a potion-filled glass. "Breakfast is waiting downstairs whenever you're ready." Her attention lifted over my shoulder to focus on Draco. "Do you want coffee or tea, dear?"

"Coffee," came the sleepy reply from behind me, with a belated, "please." While his interactions with the Weasley children were still a bit stilted, for the most part, he'd let Molly draw him into the family in the same insistent way she had with Harry, Luna, and me. He respected her- and Arthur- something I never thought I would see.

"Come on down when you're ready, it's just Arthur and me here this morning." She left, quietly closing the door behind her.

Draco's hand moved up to sweep gently across my shoulders. "How are you?"

"Tired." I yawned. "Sore." I swallowed the potion and set the empty glass on the nightstand.

"I'm going to stay with you for a few nights." He didn't ask me, he just informed me what he was going to do.

I didn't even protest. Somewhere between that fateful night in July and last night's screaming that I was going to curse him so he could feel exactly what I was going through, the list of people I would accept help from had expanded to include Draco. "Why?"

"I'd like to spend at least a little time with Amelia before we settle back into separate lives." He smirked. "Besides, someone needs to make sure that you don't overdo it for the next few days."

Both good points. "I don't have another bed set up," I reminded him.

"Because your bed suddenly shrank and I won't fit in it anymore?" He stood up and stretched, and then pulled some fresh clothes out of my handbag for both of us. Someone must have brought me something during the night. "There are charms for that, you know."

Amelia had fallen asleep nursing again, and I handed her over to Draco. I got up and winced- I felt a little like I'd been hit by a lorry- just a little- and the area between my legs felt swollen and angry. I changed my clothes and eased myself back onto the bed. To my surprise, Draco got up and started gathering everything into my handbag. Amelia was resting on the bed, still swaddled and sleeping.

He gave me my handbag. "Do you want me to carry you down the stairs?"

I shook my head. "Molly said that the more I move around, the better I'll feel. I pulled some muscles and..." I was on the verge of babbling. "Can you carry our daughter?" Our daughter. Mine and his. It seemed so strange- here was tangible proof that we'd shared a questionable decision. Looking down into her sweet face, though, it suddenly didn't seem like it had been such a bad decision. I had absolutely no regrets.

"Of course."

We made our slow way down the stairs, to where Molly and Arthur were at the kitchen table. Arthur put down his paper and got to his feet, and pulled out a chair for me. "Did you sleep well?" he inquired solicitously.

"Not long enough."

"I'm afraid it's time to get used to that," he offered with a gentle smile.

I eased myself down in my chair, and Molly immediately brought me over a cup of tea, and a bowl full of porridge and some bacon. I was ravenous, I discovered. I hadn't eaten much the previous day, and I eagerly tucked into the porridge.

"Helps with your milk," Molly told me, and then held out her arms for the baby in a way that brooked no resistance. Draco handed her over, and then got his own breakfast, joining me at the table to eat. Amelia was cuddled first by Molly, then by Arthur while Draco and I ate.

"I'll bring by some meals later that you'll just need to heat up when you're hungry. Narcissa said she'd stop by later as well. You take it easy on those stairs, do you hear me?" Molly leveled me a look, brandishing one of her wooden spoons at me as though it was a wand and she was going to charm me into compliance. "I've got a couple of potions for the pain, and some cloth soaked in a special salve that you can apply directly, but you'll need to make some more." She turned the wooden spoon on Draco. "I trust that an aptitude for potions runs in the family?"

Draco nodded.

"You'll need to do that, then, dear," she told him firmly.

We finished eating and I was just ready to go home, where my own bed and my cat were waiting for me. I was a little curious to see how Crookshanks would take to Amelia. "Thank you," I told my surrogate parents, amidst slightly teary hugs and kisses.

"We'll be by soon," Molly assured me.

I minced my way across the garden, Amelia snug in my arms, and Draco wrapped his arm around my waist and Apparated us across the street from my flat.

"Why did Molly tell me that you weren't to have sex for a few weeks?"

The sudden question shocked me. I looked up at him for a moment while we walked across the street. "Did she?"

"This morning when you were in the lavatory."

I shook my head. "We did sleep together last night." Knowing Molly, she'd probably decided that our sharing a bed was the first step in him making an honest witch out of me. I passed him Amelia, who was awake and staring up at him with her wide blue eyes, her fists making jerky little motions. I started up the stairs.

"You just had my baby. I'm feeling just a little tender towards you right now. Not like I want to want to make some more, but that you just... had my daughter. You're something like family, now."

"'Something like family?' Sweeter words have never crossed your lips." I wasn't really cross, not really, not with him anyway. But he was there, and he had that way of trying my patience.

I could almost see the smirk, despite him being behind me. "If I wanted to say something sweet, I'd probably mention your legs again. Of course, the last two times I did that, it led to the very thing that we're not supposed to do."

I rolled my eyes. "You can talk about my legs all you want, Draco, but you are _not _getting between them again." I reached the top of the stairs and touched my wand to my door and we went inside.

He closed the door firmly behind him, and then he spoke again. "I'm... dating Astoria. I was here yesterday when Arthur sent me his message."

I looked back at him again and raised my eyebrow. That was certainly less surprising than what he'd told me about what Molly said, though. The two of them had been dancing around each other for months. Every time he came to visit me, he ended up knocking on her door as well. "Does she know that you had a baby with the witch just down the stairs?"

"Yes. She'll probably be by later, if that's alright. Or I could take Amelia up to see her."

I didn't want him to take her upstairs. I didn't really have a good reason for him not to, I just didn't want him to. "That's fine, Draco, she can come here." I sighed, throwing my handbag onto the kitchen table and placing my wand down after it, much more gently. I braced myself against the table, my hands gripping the edge of it tightly, focusing my unease into something that made a lot more sense. "Why is it alright for a wizard to have a child outside of marriage, but not a witch?" Well, it made more sense to be unhappy about it.

"I know." He paused, looking down at our tiny daughter. "To be fair, Astoria doesn't much care that you've had a child outside of marriage, either."

"No. None of your friends seem to care; they more object to my heritage than that I'm not married." I sighed. "Is Astoria going to care that you're sleeping in my bed?"

"Why would she?" He sounded genuinely confused.

"Most of the witches I know wouldn't be too keen on the man they were seeing sleeping in the same bed as a witch he's had sex with in the past."

"But we're not going to have sex." He paused a moment. "You're not allowed, remember?"

I knew he was being facetious, but I looked back at him for a long moment and answered seriously anyway. "Maybe you'd better transfigure the sofa into a bed."

"We slept together last night." He just wasn't getting it.

"Just trust me."

I could hear Amelia starting to grunt and fuss, her little hands flailing around without any control. "I think she's hungry. I'm going to go feed her." I yawned, the limited physical activity had really taken it out of me. "I might fall asleep."

He walked over to me and passed her into my waiting arms. "If anyone stops by, do you want me to tell them to come back later?"

I thought about it for a moment. "Depends who it is. If it's family, wake me up."

"Alright." He kissed my cheek.

I took Amelia down to my bedroom and it didn't take long after she settled down to nurse for me to fall asleep.

I was grateful to have him there for the first few days. It went by in a whirl of nursing and visiting and sleeping and nappies...

Everyone stopped by. All of both of our families came to visit, and a good few friends. Angelina mentioned that the Daily Prophet had reported her birth with their usual due diligence. In this case, that meant that they suggested that Lucius was the father instead of his son, and Ginny and I spent a few minutes laughing at that, while both Malfoy men sat with identical raised eyebrows. Angelina brought the official apology over for me to read the next day, and we shared quite a laugh at that. With how many apologies and retractions the Daily Prophet had to print, it was a wonder they were still in business.

Astoria slept over too, more often than not. She and Draco shared a transfigured bed in my sitting room, and I found I didn't mind her company. She didn't assume that her seeing Draco meant she had automatic rights to the baby, which earned a lot of points in her favor. She was polite, if a bit quiet, but she seemed like one of those people who was shy until she got to know someone.

Crookshanks loved Amelia. He automatically seemed to extend the same loving protectiveness he had over me to her as well, and he could often be seen sleeping on the floor beside her cradle. When she started being awake for longer periods of time, he would come and get me, often before she started to fuss for attention.

It wasn't what I'd ever imagined for myself, an argument could be made that it wasn't even ideal. But it was family, for better or for worse, and that was more than I'd imagined that September when Luna had told me that I was pregnant.

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! *heart***

**This ends the first part of the story.  
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**Edit: From the amount of questions I'm getting about it, I've decided to mark this part of the story "Complete" and pick up part 2 in a separate edition, which will have a completely different focus. This is the end of the Draco and Hermione part of the story. He'll turn up in part two, of course, but his role will be different.**


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